Politicians too busy to topple Mega<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
If several local analysts' predictions are right, the next two
\nyears belong to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, although she
\nmay have to painfully bear the brunt of being discredited by her
\npolitical foes.<\/p>\n
The same analysts are predicting that over the next two years,
\npoliticians of all parties will be very busy preparing for the
\n2004 general elections and that also means preparing their
\ncriticisms of her administration.<\/p>\n
The 2004 elections will see the first direct presidential
\nelection and some ambitious politicians are busy building their
\nimages and alliances now.<\/p>\n
Criticism of the government, although intensifying, will be
\naimed at destroying her popularity, not to topple her, but to
\nreduce her chances of being re-elected.<\/p>\n
\"All the politicians who think they have a chance to become
\nnumber one (president) or number two (vice president) are
\npositioning themselves for 2004. Therefore President Megawati is
\nsafe at least until 2004,\" said Hermawan \"Kiki\" Sulistyo on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Criticisms of Megawati have been revolving around her
\nincompetence in dealing with the four-year-old economic crisis.
\nHer popularity has been undermined by the increase in prices of
\nelectricity, fuel and basic commodities.<\/p>\n
Politicians know all too well that if they seize power from
\nMegawati, they, too, will not be able to do anything to mend the
\nsituation, said Hermawan, from the Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences (LIPI).<\/p>\n
Politicians from different parties are beginning to seek
\nallies ahead of the 2004 elections because they know that the
\npresidential and vice presidential candidates will more than
\nlikely each come from different parties.<\/p>\n
\"Because the president will be elected directly by the people,
\npresidential and vice presidential candidates may come from
\noutside of the government, such as NU (Nahdlatul Ulama) chairman
\nHasyim Muzadi,\" according to Hermawan.<\/p>\n
The ongoing internal conflicts plaguing major political
\nparties, notably the United Development Party (PPP) and National
\nAwakening Party (PKB), are also predicted to change the way they
\ninteract with other parties.<\/p>\n
Chairman of one camp of PKB, Alwi Shihab, has hinted he would
\nforget his bitter rows with Megawati's Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) to form a possible alliance.<\/p>\n
He said PDI Perjuangan, which played an important role in
\ntoppling PKB chief Board of Patrons Abdurrahman Wahid in July,
\nwas a \"real PKB traditional partner\".<\/p>\n
A PKB-PDI Perjuangan alliance could be a powerful coalition
\nbetween a mainstream moderate Islamic group and a mainstream
\nnationalist group.<\/p>\n
\"A Megawati-Hasyim package has a great opportunity to win the
\n2004 elections,\" Hermawan said.<\/p>\n
An important figure that should not be overlooked when
\ndiscussing the 2004 elections is the Muslim-based United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) chief Hamzah Haz, who is also the Vice
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Hamzah has presidential ambitions yet keeps his distance from
\nPDI Perjuangan. Instead, he is courting other Islamic parties,
\nthe Crescent Star Party (PBB), Justice Party (PK) and other
\nsmaller Islamic parties.<\/p>\n
But Zainuddin M.Z., a popular Muslim cleric who may very soon
\nestablish a breakaway party from PPP, called PPP Reformasi, is
\nreportedly having troubles cooperating with Hamzah.<\/p>\n
PPP is also understood to have been building relations with
\nseveral retired generals such as Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but he
\nalso may establish his own party.<\/p>\n
As for Amien Rais, chairman of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), Hermawan said he is over-confident because he receives
\nsupport from the 30 million-member Muhammadiyah, which is PAN's
\nmain base.<\/p>\n
Like Hamzah, Amien will also seek support from rightist
\nIslamic parties and retired generals.<\/p>\n
But he also remains convinced that he will be supported by all
\nMuhammadiyah members who are currently involved with other
\nparties like Golkar, PPP and others.<\/p>\n
But, Indria Samego of the Center for Information and
\nDevelopment Studies (CIDES) said the investigation into Golkar
\nParty Chairman Akbar Tandjung, who was accused of diverting Rp 40
\nbillion in state money to Golkar in 1999, would affect the
\npolitical situation.<\/p>\n
He said Golkar will also be trying to implicate other
\npolitical parties in the case as its executives have threatened.<\/p>\n
Indria believes the Akbar case is only the tip of the iceberg.
\nhe said nearly all political parties violated the electoral laws
\nin 1999 elections, such as receiving donations more than the
\nmaximum legally allowed: Rp 15 million from individuals and Rp
\n150 billion from organizations.<\/p>\n
He said that a lot of money was spent during the election
\ncampaign in 1999. The money, however, was most likely collected
\nby violating the law. \"How could new political parties afford to
\ncharter plane for campaigning?\" Indria questioned.<\/p>\n
Indria believes the Akbar case would also affect other
\npolitical parties and would affect the power struggle in 2004.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/politicians-too-busy-to-topple-mega-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}