Why has Megawati grown in stature?<\/p>\n
Why has the embattled chief of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty, Megawati Soekarnoputri, been able to contain pressure on
\nher since the controversial government-backed congress of the
\nIndonesian Development Party in Medan last month? Political
\nobserver Riswandha Imawan has the answer.<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The most palpable result of the government-
\nbacked Indonesian Democratic Party congress in Medan last month
\nis the emergence of Megawati Soekarnoputri as a new force in
\nIndonesian politics.<\/p>\n
By way of comparison, Megawati's political stature prior to
\nthe congress was that of a small wave. Now, however, she has been
\ntransformed into a tidal wave. If formerly, Megawati was a mere
\nPDI leader, she has now become a leader and a symbol for whoever
\nstill believes in moral principles and political ethics.<\/p>\n
How could this happen? I believe there are four reasons.<\/p>\n
First, reversed logic. Indonesians like to say something which
\nleads other people to a wrong conclusion. It is like Gatotkaca,
\nthe wayang figure who spreads his right hand while unfolding his
\nshawl when he is about to fly. But unlike logic in traffic,
\nGatotkaca then moves to the left, not to the right which the sign
\nhad indicated.<\/p>\n
This kind of logic colors everyday political statements. Once
\nit was said that fuel prices would not go up. Two days later,
\nfuel prices were increased. Someone says he has no ambition to
\nbecome a regent, but the reverse is exactly what he means.<\/p>\n
This reversed logic has serious consequences. People now
\nbelieve anything denied by the elite is what really happens.
\nTherefore, when the elite said there was no government
\nengineering in the PDI congress, it was read as an official
\nadmission of political engineering,<\/p>\n
Second, Megawati Soekarnoputri was asked to become PDI
\nchairman by her supporters. This is an undeniable fact. Like
\nCorazon Aquino of the Philippines, she was a housewife who was
\ncompelled to enter politics. One of those who invited Megawati to
\njoin the party was Soerjadi, the very man who dethroned her at
\nthe government-backed congress in Medan.<\/p>\n
The people's support is the reason for Megawati's strength.
\nShe has become a symbol of dedication and honesty, qualities
\nwhich are vastly non-existent in today's politics. We may have
\nlost everything, she would say, but hope and dignity.<\/p>\n
Megawati may have been dethroned from her formal position, but
\nshe has become a figure that fills the void in the structure of
\nIndonesia's political ethics.<\/p>\n
Third, many of our political elite have become paranoid. They
\nare afraid of their own shadows and plagued with the rich man's
\nsyndrome. They suspect anybody who is on their front porch when
\nit rains, viewing them as a thief while they are only taking
\nshelter.<\/p>\n
I think the paranoia occurs as the result of their
\nunderstanding of power. Certain elite think that their power is
\nGod-given and that power is singular and thus cannot be shared.
\nTherefore, they believe that the closer they are to the center of
\npower, the more powerful they will be. Hence, they believe that
\nobtaining an access higher up is more important than nurturing
\nsound leadership qualities.<\/p>\n
In line with the nation's progress, a new understanding
\ndevelops that political legitimacy comes from the people. The
\npeople are becoming better aware of their rights. They have
\nlearned that one of the basic values of democracy is leadership
\nrotation.<\/p>\n
They know that they need leaders who are one with the people,
\nnot those who only rely on those higher up. This signifies the
\nbirth of a critical generation in Indonesian politics.<\/p>\n
This \"new notion\" is viewed as dangerous by the elite in
\npower. Whatever new thoughts appear, they are invariably read as
\nefforts to replace existing values. But in fact, this notion
\nenriches and actualizes the nation's basic values.<\/p>\n
Fourth, timely replacement. Megawati was pushed aside at the
\n\"right\" moment. Her removal coincided with the sharp decline of
\nthe people's trust in the prevailing political mechanism.<\/p>\n
A clear indicator is the increasing number of complaints being
\nlodged with mass organizations or non-governmental
\norganizations, rather than with political parties. Also, many
\nproblems have been submitted to the House of Representatives in
\nJakarta, rather than the regional Houses in the provinces.<\/p>\n
The pressure befalling Megawati is seen as the culmination of
\npressure of grassroots-level politics. Some even go so far as to
\nbase their pressure on gender bias.<\/p>\n
The writer is a lecturer in political sciences at Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity in Yogyakarta.<\/p>",
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