Cracks emerging in Mega-Hamzah relationship<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Discord between President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice
\nPresident Hamzah Haz is becoming increasingly obvious now, with
\nthe two frequently making conflicting statements.<\/p>\n
Officials at the State Secretariat said over the weekend they
\nwere annoyed with the statements by Hamzah, whom they described
\nas talking too much.<\/p>\n
Hamzah's free-wheeling statements often contradicted
\nMegawati's stance, they said.<\/p>\n
The latest example has concerned the question of an
\nAfghanistan jihad.<\/p>\n
Initially, the Vice President said that the government would
\nnot bar Indonesians wishing to travel to Afghanistan to
\nparticipate in a jihad, but after a cabinet meeting last week the
\ngovernment issued a statement prohibiting Indonesians from
\nfighting in a war in any foreign country.<\/p>\n
Before that, they had already differed on a more fundamental
\nissue, the amendment of the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
Hamzah wanted to enshrine the position of syaria (Islamic
\nlaw), as set forth in the Jakarta Charter, in the Constitution,
\nbut Megawati, through her party, objected to the idea.<\/p>\n
If such disagreements are not quickly addressed, observers
\nwarned, they could be used by the administration's opponents to
\nattack it.<\/p>\n
\"The two leaders should restrain themselves from making
\nstatements just to satisfy their own constituents. They have to
\nshow true statesmanship and address the entire nation,\" political
\nobserver J. Kristiadi said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said both leaders had to synchronize their statements, and
\ntherefore, they would have to adjust themselves to each other
\nconsidering that they came from two ideologically diverse
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
Megawati, with her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan), is widely-known as a nationalist, while Hamzah
\nis the chairman of the largest Muslim-based party in the country,
\nthe United Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
\"That is why, the two should build a more informal
\nrelationship. They could do it through having breakfasts
\ntogether, for instance,\" Kristiadi said, referring to the weekly
\nbreakfast meetings that used to be held by the president and vice
\npresident during the administration of former president
\nAbdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legislators Alvin Lie from the National Awakening
\nParty and Ferry Mursidan Baldan from the Golkar party, both of
\nwhich helped Megawati and Hamzah to power, said that they could
\nunderstand whey the two leaders differed in some areas,
\nconsidering their different political backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the two legislators expressed their confidence
\nthat such differences would not pose a danger for the
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"Their different backgrounds cannot be used as parameters for
\nanalyze anything about their relationship. Moreover, both of them
\nhad pledged from the beginning to work together,\" Ferry said
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
However, National Awakening Party legislators Effendy Choirie
\nand Chotibul Umam Wiranu, whose party's patron Abdurrahman Wahid
\nwas forced out of the power in early August, said that Megawati
\nand Hamzah would never have a genuine, sincere relationship.<\/p>\n
\"There are contradictory fundamental values that cannot be
\nnegotiated between a nationalist and a religion-based politician.
\nThey cannot establish a sincere relationship,\" Effendy said.<\/p>\n
Chotibul added that such discord would be bad for the country,
\nand it would only create disharmony between the supporters of
\nMega and Hamzah at the lower level.<\/p>\n
\"We are concerned about this, but we don't want to go fishing
\nin troubled waters.\"<\/p>",
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