PDI-P campaign again to rely on Megawati's fame<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The well-established Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI-P) is still relying on the strength of Megawati's name to
\nget as many votes as possible to win the upcoming legislative and
\npresidential elections.<\/p>\n
Citing the low level of education and awareness of democracy
\namong most Indonesian people, party figures said exploiting
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri's name could still guarantee an
\nelection victory.<\/p>\n
Presenting party vision and mission to The Jakarta Post here
\non Monday, PDI-P Secretary-General Soetjipto said: \"We just need
\nto show her (Megawati) picture, that will be enough and most
\npeople are still taken by big names like hers.\"<\/p>\n
Whether we like it or not, he said, most Indonesians still
\nvoted for a candidate due to sentimental reasons rather than
\nrational considerations.<\/p>\n
The good economic indicators under Megawati's administration
\nwere an additional factor that strengthened the people's
\nconfidence in Megawati, he added.<\/p>\n
\"A professor or a man in a kampong, will have the same vote in
\nthe elections and campaigning in the campus or on the street is
\nreally no different,\" Soetjipto said.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who also chairs PDI-P is the eldest daughter of the
\ncountry's founding president Sukarno who was respected as a
\ncharismatic leader and had loyal supporters during his tenure.
\nShe emerged in politics in 1990s when the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI), established in 1973, was divided into two camps with
\nthe one which was later named PDI-P led by Megawati.<\/p>\n
Under the leadership of Megawati, known to be close to the
\npoor and oppressed, PDI-P won 33.8 percent of votes in the 1999
\nlegislative election and Megawati gained the country's second top
\nposition in the presidential election. In July, 2001, she was
\nelected president to replace Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid.<\/p>\n
During her presidency and party leadership, Megawati, fully
\nsupported by her party, has made several unpopular policies
\nincluding on Aceh and gubernatorial elections in Lampung, Jakarta
\nand Central Java, causing divisions in the party.<\/p>\n
Megawati for example imposed martial law in war-torn Aceh and
\nhas yet to exert maximum efforts to solve conflicts in other
\nregions.<\/p>\n
Despite its decreasing popularity, party figures believe that
\nMegawati and her party still have loyalist groups in society.<\/p>\n
\"There are between around 12 million to 15 million people of
\nour traditional constituencies, and we are working hard to win
\nsupport from new eligible voters,\" Deputy Secretary-General
\nPramono Anung said.<\/p>\n
He said PDI-P had listed well-educated legislative candidates
\nto contend the legislative elections on April 5.<\/p>\n
\"We suffered from internal conflict because of the policy to
\nget more qualified people as most of the party's long-time
\nmembers are not educated,\" Pramono added.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto said that PDI-P was committed to improving the
\nquality of legislators by nominating candidates with a good
\neducational background in its attempt to improve the quality of
\nthe legislatures in the future.<\/p>\n
He said PDI-P was still waiting for two more future elections
\nto perform as a modern party and be ready to contend legislative
\nelections under the district system.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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