Megawati against the federal state concept<\/p>\n
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri said on Saturday she was opposed to the idea of
\nturning Indonesia into a federal state.<\/p>\n
She said she was also very concerned at efforts being made by
\nseveral provinces to separate from the Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the first provincial conference of the South
\nSulawesi chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI-P) here, the Vice President, who is also chairperson of the
\nPDI-P, said she had no idea how certain parties and members of
\nthe political elite could prefer a federal state.<\/p>\n
\"How can you imagine if we (the nation) disintegrate. We'll
\nhave to raise our own flags, sing our own anthems and may well
\nhave to have our own militaries. Is it possible?\" Mega said.
\n\"What we have now is an archipelagic country, not a continental
\none.\"<\/p>\n
\"It is difficult to imagine Sulawesi, Sumatra, Java,
\nKalimantan and Irian Jaya wanting their own governments. What
\nhappens to me, considering I am of Javanese, Balinese and
\nSumatranese descent? Where will I stand?\" she said.<\/p>\n
Megawati is the eldest daughter of the country's founding
\nfather and first president Soekarno, who was well-known for his
\nobsession with unity.<\/p>\n
Last year, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais
\naired the idea of the establishment of a federal state.<\/p>\n
Amien said he was skeptical about the benefits of maintaining
\na unitary state, fearing it could lead to the disintegration of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Amien, who has been one of President Abdurrahman Wahid's
\nstaunchest critics recently, said that independence and referenda
\nshould be taken into consideration after a federal system had
\nbeen tested.<\/p>\n
Conflicts<\/p>\n
Megawati also expressed her grievances over the prolonged
\nfighting in Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
She said dealing with the conflicts was not easy, adding that
\nit was unfortunate that many people had pinned high hopes on her
\nafter the President declared her responsible for bringing peace
\nto the affected regions.<\/p>\n
She has visited Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya on peace missions.<\/p>\n
\"It is not just my responsibility,\" she said, referring to
\npeople who have accused of failing in her task.<\/p>\n
\"It is the task of the whole nation to help settle these
\nconflicts,\" she said. \"As vice president, I have the task to
\noversee the situations in the restive regions.\"<\/p>\n
She said she felt alone (in handling the conflicts). \"I was
\nall alone. I was busy visiting Maluku and Irian. And when riots
\nerupted again after my visit, people said I was incapable of
\nbringing the region under control, and was too slow. So I ask
\nmyself, is the vice president the only person in this country?\"
\n(27\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-against-the-federal-state-concept-1447893297",
"image": ""
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