Megawati's silence has political purposes<\/p>\n
Speculation is growing concerning chairwoman of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri's continued silence in regard to big political
\nissues in the public arena. Political observer Cornelis Lay of
\nGadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta provides his views on the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
Question: Do you think Megawati will obtain political
\nadvantages from her silence?<\/p>\n
Lay: I think it's good for her to remain silent, especially
\nbecause the existing discourse has gone beyond reasonable
\ndiscussions. That is a choice that Megawati should take.
\nOtherwise, she will only be trapped in a disoriented discourse
\nthat has no value for democracy building in Indonesia. She cannot
\nchange her gender, can she? Why then should she respond to such a
\ndebate (as to whether a woman can become a president of this
\nMuslim-dominated country)?<\/p>\n
In such a public debate, anything Megawati says will only give
\nher rivals other reasons to keep on ngotot (insisting they are
\nright). Currently, we have too many people talking too much. What
\nwe need is a figure who is willing to listen. For some people,
\nMegawati probably has listened too much. But it could be what we
\nreally need for the time being. Besides, is it true that things
\nwill be settled once Megawati opens her mouth? That's nonsense.<\/p>\n
Q: Some people speculate that Megawati's silence is to avoid any
\ndifferences with the military, from whom she may need political
\nsupport in the forthcoming General Assembly of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR). What is your comment?<\/p>\n
L: That's just speculation. Which political force do you think
\nsuffered the most at the hands of the Armed Forces during the New
\nOrder era? It was PDI Perjuangan. If she wanted to be in favor
\nwith the Armed Forces, she would have never described the Armed
\nForces' presence in the House of Representatives (DPR) as
\nimproper. She said in Bali the military should be gradually
\nremoved from the House.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Indonesians are verbal people. Talking is
\nconsidered the same as doing. It's true that Megawati, to some
\nextent, has been overly quiet. However, for the sake of political
\nnegotiations, she does need to know the final result of the vote
\ncount. It would be stupid on her part if she, imagining her party
\nas the winner of the last general election, formed a coalition
\nwith a certain party, but in the end Golkar won the elections.
\nThat would be stupid wouldn't it?<\/p>\n
Moreover, why should it be Megawati who must speak? PDI
\nPerjuangan has many representatives. Kwik (Kian Gie) has spoken
\nup. Dimyati (Hartono) has spoken up. Others have spoken up. Don't
\nthey represent anything? Besides, being a president is not
\nMegawati's agenda. It is PDI Perjuangan's. That's why you should
\ntake a look at PDI Perjuangan's agenda, not Megawati's (plans).
\nOtherwise, what would the difference be between us and (former
\npresident) Soeharto?<\/p>\n
Q: But the party has nominated Megawati as its presidential
\ncandidate, hasn't it?<\/p>\n
L: That's true. But what she is offering is PDI Perjuangan's
\nagenda. That's why she never says she will do this or that if she
\nis elected president. It's far more logical in the current system
\nto follow the party's policies that she is nominated as a
\npresidential candidate. Therefore, it's not relevant to insist
\nthat the party's leader speaks her mind. It's the party that
\nformulates everything. And it is clear that people have supported
\nit. If they did not want Megawati to be president, they would not
\nhave voted for PDI Perjuangan. That's concrete. Now it's time for
\nus to wait and see what the party will do.<\/p>\n
Q: People are wondering about Megawati's precise stance on
\nseveral parties' demands for the amendment of the 1945
\nConstitution, the abolition of the Indonesian Military's (TNI)
\ndual sociopolitical function and the trial of Soeharto. What is
\nyour comment?<\/p>\n
L: That's exactly why we should see things objectively. Megawati
\nwas the one who suffered most during the New Order era. About the
\nabolition of TNI's dual function, who says she does not agree to
\nit? She does. It was also Megawati who was the first to say that
\nthe next president's accountability speech should not be approved
\nunless corruption matters were asserted.<\/p>\n
In pursuing reform, we are trapped with terms such as \"dual
\nfunction\". If that is the case, it will be hard (to handle the
\nproblem). Would we consider Soeharto a reformist, (someone who)
\ndeserved a presidential position, just because he said, for
\nexample, he would revoke the dual function of the military,
\nsubmit a letter of approval to track down his wealth and agree to
\namend the Constitution?<\/p>\n
Q: PDI Perjuangan has no agenda regarding the amendment of the
\n1945 Constitution, despite the fact that it will be advantageous
\nfor the party? What do you say?<\/p>\n
L: An amendment to the Constitution will indeed benefit PDI
\nPerjuangan. The problem is that the present discussion on the
\nproposed amendment of the Constitution is not based on an aim to
\nbuild a new system. Instead, it is merely based on empirical
\nexperience that the country's first two presidents were elected
\non the basis of the same system, and both developed undemocratic
\ngovernments.<\/p>\n
Who can guarantee that an amendment will not lead to a
\ndecision that the Indonesian president must be a man? It makes
\nsense, therefore, that Megawati keeps silent about Constitutional
\namendment proposals. (swa)<\/p>",
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