Megawati' popularity falls as her party weakens<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri held a small feast on Tuesday
\nto celebrate her first year in power but may have to gear up for
\na tougher year ahead amid signs of dropping popularity.<\/p>\n
Taking the whole day off after attending a celebration of
\nNational Children's Day at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Megawati
\ntold children how she barely noticed that one year had passed
\nsince she was sworn in as President.<\/p>\n
\"Today, I had a very beautiful gift. I was sworn in a
\nPresident last year. I almost forgot about it,\" she told hundreds
\nof cheering children.<\/p>\n
When some of the more curious children asked her whether it
\nwas nice to be President, she said smilingly \"I enjoy many
\nthings, but there are always other things I am unable to
\nachieve.\"<\/p>\n
These other things, however, are costing Megawati her
\npopularity.<\/p>\n
Critics bemoan her weak leadership in curbing corruption,
\nbringing peace to Aceh and most of all reaching out to the common
\npeople who in 1999 made up the bulk of her supporters.<\/p>\n
The daily Kompas in its Tuesday edition said almost 72 percent
\nof 1,773 respondents polled said they were disappointed with the
\npresent government.<\/p>\n
A poll by Detik.com Internet news portal showed that 70
\npercent of its 1,000 respondents considered Megawati a failure.<\/p>\n
On the streets, the area in front of Merdeka Palace was host
\nto a slew of protests deploring Megawati's one-year rule.<\/p>\n
One year of Megawati's government equals 10 years of the
\nSoeharto government, read a long banner displayed outside the
\npalace by a group called 2002 Revolutionary Front.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nchairperson, Megawati, marked her first anniversary in power with
\na small feast at her home.<\/p>\n
Flower arrangements adorned the entrance, including one from
\nthe chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BNI),
\nHendropriyono.<\/p>\n
According to a staff member at the residence, party members
\nhad ordered two traditional nasi tumpeng, for Megawati to cut and
\ndistribute among the dozens of members present.<\/p>\n
\"We just had a small feast, nothing special,\" said Jacob
\nTobing a party member who chairs a committee discussing
\nconstitutional reform at the Peoples' Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR).<\/p>\n
U.S. President George W. Bush, called to congratulate the
\nPresident and expressed his appreciation for her efforts to curb
\nterrorism, Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, the momentum was seized by critics of PDI
\nPerjuangan to launch what they hope would be its future
\ncontender: the Bung Karno Nationalist Party (PNBK).<\/p>\n
Bung Karno, as Megawati's father was called, Indonesia's first
\npresident Soekarno, still continues to wield immense influence
\namong the people three decades after his death.<\/p>\n
Eros Djarot, singer, composer and most of all PDI Perjuangan
\ndissident, announced the new party and said it would be
\nofficially declared on Wednesday. Eros is expected to lead the
\nnew party.<\/p>\n
It was unclear whether PNBK could retain its name as parties
\nare not allowed to use the names and pictures of people.<\/p>\n
Eros said an option was to name it the Independent Nationalist
\nBull Party without changing its acronym PNBK.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month several nationalist-humanist' figures from
\n14 provinces met to share their dissatisfaction over Megawati, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We think they (the government) have failed to build on the
\nreform spirit and have departed from the ideas of our founding
\nfathers.\"<\/p>\n
The result of that meeting was a plan for a new party. In the
\nthree weeks that followed it had formed 24 provincial chapters,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Eros and his new party is no exemption. Dimyati Hartono, a
\nformer member of the House of Representatives Commission II on
\nlegal and home affairs, resigned from both the House and PDI
\nPerjuangan in February.<\/p>\n
He later established a party he called the Indonesian
\nMotherland Party (PITA).<\/p>\n
Dimyati said he was fed up with the worsening rifts and
\ninternal rivalry among party leaders.<\/p>\n
Equally frustrated, long-time Megawati supporter Sophan
\nSophiaan, then chairman of PDI Perjuangan faction at the MPR,
\nquit his seat in the MPR and also the House.<\/p>\n
The latest resignation came from House member Indira earlier
\nthis month. She quit in protest over Megawati's move to block an
\ninvestigation into House Speaker Akbar Tandjung over graft
\nallegations.<\/p>\n
Analysts say the moves from some of PDI Perjuangan top members
\nhave been detrimental to both the party's image and its unity.<\/p>\n
But while high level rifts are normal, they say, the biggest
\nblow has come with members of the party openly opposing
\nMegawati's policies.<\/p>\n
This followed her controversial decision to back Governor
\nSutiyoso for a second five-year term.<\/p>\n
In 1997 he was the Jakarta Military Commander, and many hold
\nhim responsible for the bloody attack against PDI headquarters
\nthat resulted in the disappearance of many party members and
\nother civilians.<\/p>\n
Megawati has not given any explanation for her support of
\nSutiyoso while suspicions abound of a political deal with
\nSutiyoso.<\/p>\n
\"As a friend, I don't even recognize Megawati anymore,\" Eros
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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