U.S.-led war on Iraq improves Megawati's domestic image<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While disappointment with her leadership remains, President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri has received some credit, including from
\nher rivals, for her firmness in rejecting the United States-led
\nwar in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who in January and February withstood a wave of
\nrallies to demand her resignation, has shown her clear antiwar
\nstance to U.S. President George W. Bush who called her last week,
\ndespite the risk of disrupting relations between the two
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"Megawati's firm stance against the war is correct and
\ndeserves support from people in the country,\" People's
\nConsultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said as quoted by Antara
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Amien, chairman of the National Mandate Party and Megawati's
\npossible competitor for the presidency in 2004, joined the
\nmounting criticism against Megawati for her government's decision
\nto increase fuel prices as well as the telephone and electricity
\nrates earlier this year.<\/p>\n
In a telephone conversation with Bush on Thursday night,
\nMegawati stood firm on her statement, calling the attack \"an act
\nof aggression.\" Bush called Megawati to ask for her understanding
\nof the U.S. strike on Iraq.<\/p>\n
\"That was an excellent move. We should not let Washington
\ndictate to us,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
Her other critic, Effendy Choiri from the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB), also praised Megawati for her clear stance, but
\nemphasized that she needed to follow up with more assertive
\naction against the war.<\/p>\n
\"She could have created a better image as one of the world's
\nleaders had she gone abroad to strengthen antiwar cooperation
\nwith other countries,\" Effendy told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, since the beginning of the crisis, has rejected any
\nuse of force to disarm Iraq and urged the United Nations to play
\nthe leading role in addressing the crisis.<\/p>\n
Hours after the U.S. and its allies began bombing Iraq on
\nThursday, Megawati addressed the nation over the issue and
\ndespite the close relations with President Bush she refused to
\nback down from her antiwar stance.<\/p>\n
The government has assured the public that strongly deploring
\nthe U.S. move would not jeopardize the ties between Jakarta and
\nWashington as it was a matter of principle and the U.S. is fully
\naware of that.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's call for a UN Security Council emergency meeting to
\nstop the war has positively been responded to by the
\ninternational community. The meeting will be held in New York on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Syafii Maarif, chairman of Muhammadiyah, the country's
\nsecond largest Muslim organization, also expressed his gratitude
\nof Megawati's consistency in opposing the U.S. military action
\nagainst Iraq and called on the nation to throw its support behind
\nher.<\/p>\n
\"Her bravery in defying President Bush has demonstrated her
\nconsistency in upholding a principle. It's time for Indonesians
\nto adhere to the same stance,\" he said in Bandung.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Soedjati Djiwandono, however, believes that
\nrejecting the war is the only option for Megawati, regarding the
\ninternational and domestic circumstances.<\/p>\n
\"There is no other possible scenario for Megawati as the U.S.
\npolicy is clearly against the international law,\" Soedjati told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
Soedjati admitted that it was important for Megawati, who
\nleads the world's most populous Muslim country, to stand firm in
\nfacing the U.S. president, although it depends on \"what she
\nactually told Bush in the conversation.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-led-war-on-iraq-improves-megawatis-domestic-image-1447893297",
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