Megawati's reelection a setback for democratic development<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The reelection of Megawati Soekarnoputri as leader of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) during the
\nparty's congress in Bali last Thursday reinforces the proposition
\nthat after more than six years from the fall of the Soeharto
\ndictatorship, democracy has not yet entrenched itself into one of
\nthe key institutions that is supposed to uphold its existence.<\/p>\n
It also serves as a bitter reminder to those true champions of
\ndemocracy within the party that they still have a long way to go.<\/p>\n
Megawati was elected as party leader for the third time in a
\nrow, in a contest stripped of any possible competition. She was
\nre-elected simply because there were no other candidates.<\/p>\n
In the run-up to the congress, party members were constantly
\ntold that she was the only credible figure that could lead this
\npopulist, nationalist-oriented party.<\/p>\n
Speculation was rife prior to the congress that PDI-P branches
\nwere coerced into nominating Megawati in exchange for certain
\nrewards.<\/p>\n
When the party congress was finally convened, all stops were
\npulled out to ensure her re-election, reducing the significance
\nof the Rp 11 billion (US$ 1.15 billion) event to that of a rubber
\nstamp.<\/p>\n
In the early stages of the congress, the party's central
\nboard pushed for a bloc vote mechanism for the leadership
\nelection. The mechanism was finally endorsed by representatives
\nfrom the PDI-P's provincial and regental branches, with the
\nexception of the 24 participants representing Papua.<\/p>\n
Then came the most severe blow to democracy within the party:
\nMegawati was declared leader of the party after the bulk of local
\nparty representatives accepted her accountability speech, despite
\nthe fact that she failed to guide PDI-P to victory in the
\nlegislative and presidential elections last year, as mandated by
\nthe party in its 2000 congress.<\/p>\n
All congress sessions were cut short, preventing delegates
\nfrom taking part in thorough and quality deliberations on matters
\nrelated to bread-and-butter issues. A session held to discuss
\nMegawati's accountability speech clocked in at only 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
What transpired during last week's congress was reminiscent of
\nthe patrician political playacting of Soeharto, who was re-
\nelected President unopposed every five years like clockwork, for
\nthe entire 32-years of his tenure. Every time a presidential
\nelection was due, the elderly autocrat would \"refuse\" to be
\nnominated. Leaders of the three legal political parties of that
\ntime along with Soeharto-appointed representative from the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) would queue up at his
\nprivate residence to express their support for his next five-year
\nterm and to \"beg\" him to become President again.<\/p>\n
This last congress will establish the PDI-P as one of the few
\npolitical parties that have failed to modernize and shift away
\nfrom dependence on charismatic leadership in order to sustain
\ntheir existence.<\/p>\n
The congress failed to usher in the transformations that could
\nhave led to the emergence of a modern political party that banks
\non its structure and political programs to prosper rather than
\nthe shallow charisma of its incumbent leader. Instead, PDI-P
\nmoved further away from such a possibility.<\/p>\n
Megawati is now viewed by too many PDI-P members as being the
\nsole representative of the party.<\/p>\n
All her high-handed \"prerogatives\" remain intact, and she is
\nliable to use them whenever necessary, just like when she
\nappointed her younger brother Guruh Soekarnoputra as head of the
\nculture department, a move that could be viewed as settlement of
\na family feud.<\/p>\n
At the early stage of the congress, Guruh declared that he
\nwould challenge Megawati for the party's leadership with the
\nbacking of a reform group. However, he made an inexplicable,
\nlast-minute decision to join Megawati's camp.<\/p>\n
But should the affairs of a national political party be a
\nfamily concern?<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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