Spat among Sukarno's daughters regrettable: Expert<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The candidacy of three daughters of founding president Sukarno in
\nthe 2004 elections would be more appreciated if they stood as a
\nsingle political force carrying Sukarno's nationalist principles,
\nan observer said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Cornelis Lay of Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University said a
\ncoalition party combining Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Rachmawati Soekarnoputri's
\nPioneers' Party and Sukmawati Soekarnoputri's Marhaenisme
\nIndonesian National Party (PNI Marhaenisme) would unite all
\nsupporters of nationalist principles and would emerge as a
\nserious contender in next year's elections.<\/p>\n
\"They would represent all groups that are now divided by their
\nperception of Sukarno's teachings, ranging from the conservative
\nas represented by Rachmawati's party to the less radical
\nsupporters represented by the PDI-P.\" he said.<\/p>\n
Cornelis said the rivalry among the daughters would make it
\nimpossible for them to enter into a possible coalition.<\/p>\n
\"The rivalry will not be a threat at all to the country,
\nhowever, as it would not provoke clashes among the supporters of
\nthe three parties,\" said Cornelis, who is also a member of
\nMegawati's think tank.<\/p>\n
The PDI-P, Pioneers' Party and PNI Marhaenisme will contest
\nthe 2004 elections along with 21 other verified parties.<\/p>\n
Each of the three sisters claims to have the correct
\nunderstanding of Sukarno's principles of nationalism and are
\nusing the grassroots' admiration for Indonesia's founding father
\nto win support.<\/p>\n
Rachmawati has been a staunch critic of the Megawati
\nadministration and has built solid ties with National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) cofounder Abdurrahman Wahid, who was replaced by his
\ndeputy Megawati after the People's Consultative Assembly
\nimpeached him in July 2001.<\/p>\n
Marhaenism is Sukarno's term for peasant in the country, whom
\nhe claimed to be the main supporters of his principles.<\/p>\n
Cornelis said among Sukarno's daughters, Megawati was the only
\none who already had established political support at the grass
\nroots.<\/p>\n
\"The other two are simply seeking acknowledgement that they
\nare also Sukarno's daughters,\" Cornelis said.<\/p>\n
Other experts dismissed as a non-issue the presence of
\nSukarno's daughters in the 2004 elections, saying that their
\nemergence did not represent a revival of Sukarno's teachings.<\/p>\n
Underlining the fact that none of the three daughters had the
\ncapacity or ability that came anywhere near their father's, the
\nexperts said that their presence would not have any impact on the
\npolitical life of the country.<\/p>\n
\"Their presence (in the upcoming elections) is not an issue at
\nall,\" said political observer Arbi Sanit of the University of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
However, according to Arbi, none of three Sukarno daughters
\nfully understood the teachings of Sukarno \"so people should just
\nignore the fact they lead different political parties that will
\ncontest the next elections.\"<\/p>\n
\"Their presence will have no impact at all to the political
\narena in the country, people might as well ignore them,\" Arbi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Senior politician from Megawati's party PDI-P Muchtar Buchori
\nsaid that none of the daughters really understood their father's
\nprinciples.<\/p>\n
\"None of them have the ability to revitalize these teachings
\nin a more meaningful way for the country and we have gotten over
\nthe personality cult of Sukarno,\" Muchtar said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will hold its legislative election in April 2004 and
\nits direct presidential election in July. If the first round of
\nthe presidential election fail to produce a clear winner, a
\nsecond round is to be held in September 2004 to choose between
\nthe two candidates who garnered the most votes in the first
\nround.<\/p>",
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