My birthday wish for the nation if I were President Megawati<\/p>\n
Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,
\nkorpur@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
If most people expect presents on their birthday, I, the
\nIndonesian President, would change this custom and use the
\noccasion to confer the most memorable gift from the president to
\nall Indonesians.<\/p>\n
I would try to answer their demands for a better life. I would
\napologize to those who voted for my Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) for disappointing them. I would also
\nanswer (with love) all cynical views about my leadership,
\nincluding from the media and from people jealous of my luck. I
\nwould want to prove that I am not deaf. I am not as stupid as my
\ncritics suspect because I am just a university dropout, but, of
\ncourse am not as great a genius as many of my followers believe.<\/p>\n
Of course I would also wish that the people, especially those
\nwho are impatient to be called Bapak President, open their ears.
\nI would also wish that the media were not just keen to criticize
\nme but also to open their hearts to listen to my rebukes.<\/p>\n
First of all, on Thursday morning, I wish that it will be my
\nhusband Taufik Kiemas, and not one of my three colonel adjutants,
\nwho, this time, wakes me up with his whispered, \"Happy birthday
\nhoney\". Then we would say our dawn prayer in our private room.
\nUnlike the glamorous celebration of my husband's 60th birthday
\nparty in Bali on Dec. 31, I wish to celebrate my 56th birthday
\nonly with Taufik, our sons Rizki and Pranada, daughter Puan
\nMaharani and our grandchildren.<\/p>\n
I love Taufik very much and am very proud of him as he has no
\nfeelings of inferiority as the husband of the country's fifth
\npresident. He is my third husband and he loves my two sons as his
\nown children. In March we will commemorate our 30th wedding
\nanniversary. And, no less important, we share the same sign of
\nthe zodiac, Capricorn. I know that many people do not like his
\nrole in my life but Taufik and I are inseparable.<\/p>\n
If Taufik asked me to make a birthday wish I would say: \"I
\nwant you to swear that your love to me will not fade away.\"
\nAnother would be, \"Please just talk to me and not to the public.
\nAnd avoid the problematic tycoons.\"<\/p>\n
I was born in Yogyakarta on Jan. 23, 1947. On my birthday, I
\nalways read page 247 of my father's book Sukarno: An
\nautobiography as told to Cindy Adams:<\/p>\n
\"Never will I forget the night of Jan. 23. It was thundering.
\nMy wife lay in the bedroom, which had been fitted out specially
\nas a hospital. Suddenly the lights went out, the roof caved in,
\nthe dark, swollen clouds opened and water rained in like a
\nriver ... In the darkness, by the light of a candle, our daughter
\nwas born. We named her Megawati. Mega means cloud.\"<\/p>\n
I felt very lucky from my birth. I was born the daughter of a
\npresident. And when I die at least I will leave this world as a
\nformer president.<\/p>\n
By the way, I do not expect any birthday present. I'm relieved
\nthat I have even presented the most memorable gift to the nation:
\nI agreed to review the price of fuel, electricity and telephone
\nrates. For me it was a great sacrifice, because I had to swallow
\nmy own words, that no one could force me to change my mind about
\nthe price hikes. It was a very bitter decision.<\/p>\n
I did not want to back down to the protesters. But my
\nministers and advisers were too horrified at the demonstrations.
\nWere they worried about the country's stability, or just fearful
\nfor their own positions?<\/p>\n
I think I have been benevolent, not just to my own loyal
\nvoters from PDI Perjuangan but also to my political rivals, such
\nas Amien Rais. On Tuesday I openly declared my readiness to run
\nfor next year's presidential election. It would have been better
\nif I had just kept the plan to myself. But I was very upset at
\nthe ambitious politicians who wanted to delete my name from next
\nyear's campaign.<\/p>\n
However, I would also tell the people that I would not
\nsacrifice the country for the sake of my ambition. It is true
\nthat I want to join the presidential race, because in 1999 I was
\nelected only as vice president. I became president in July 2001
\nonly because Abdurrahman Wahid was impeached by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly. Therefore I want to achieve my dream of
\nbeing elected, not appointed, as president.<\/p>\n
Back to my birthday plan: On Thursday I would chair a plenary
\nCabinet meeting and scold all the ministers. My first target
\nwould be Attorney General MA Rachman. I would tell him to leave
\noffice within a week. How can an alleged corruptor be entrusted
\nto eradicate corruption? I would also tell my favorite minister,
\nKwik Kian Gie, to shut up or leave the Cabinet, because I need a
\nunited Cabinet, even though I do respect him.<\/p>\n
I would also bluntly tell Minister of Energy and Mineral
\nResources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and State Minister of State
\nEnterprises Laksamana Sukardi that they will lose their seats
\nunless they are able to clean up state oil and gas company
\nPertamina and state electricity firm PLN within a month.<\/p>\n
Then I would hold a rare media conference with my husband and
\nchildren. I would use the opportunity to apologize to the poor
\nfor my negligence toward them. I would promise not to repeat my
\narrogance in the price hike. And no less important: I would
\napologize also for my unforgivable foolishness in supporting the
\nreelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
I would donate half of my monthly salary to help the education
\nof poor children, whom I would select personally.<\/p>\n
In the media meeting, my husband Taufik would also pledge to
\nwithdraw from business activities during my presidency.<\/p>\n
And how about Vice President Hamzah Haz? I would praise him in
\npublic for his cooperation with me. But, of course, I would not
\nannounce that he would be my running mate for the 2004 general
\nelection. I need him to counter Amien and other ambitious
\npoliticians. In realty, I will make Hamzah wait for my decision
\nuntil the last minute. I think he also realizes that he cannot
\ndefeat me in the next presidential election. His only choice is
\nto be nice to me.<\/p>\n
And what about the media? Don't worry, the media bosses are
\njust jealous of my fortune!<\/p>",
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