Is Megawati fit to lead? Ask her

I refer to the article Much ado about Mega in the July 3, 1999, The Jakarta Post. The logic of the Muslim clerics and students is typically flawed.

First, the "betrayal of Muslims" by Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan): If Megawati's PDI Perjuangan secures, say, 40 percent of the vote, and that 40 percent includes every non-Muslim in the nation, then still a majority of PDI Perjuangan supporters are Muslim.

Second, they cited Islamic law and said she was not capable of leading the country. Do they mean that she is not capable of leading the country and that she is forbidden by Islamic law anyway? Or do they mean that she is incapable of leading the country because she is forbidden by Islamic law? If they meant incapability, they missed a sterling opportunity to enumerate those shortcomings. If they meant that she is forbidden by Islamic law, why did they vote and participate in a process that they do not support? (Unless they hoped that they could pose as democrats if their man won, but fall back on authoritarianism if he did not...).

If they meant "incapable because she was forbidden by Islamic law" -- it is simply a wrong word choice: she is not incapable of leading the nation because she is forbidden by Islamic law, she is forbidden to lead the nation because she is forbidden. Incapability and being forbidden are different things.

Lastly, the accusation of intent to revive nationalism, religion and communism (Nasakom). The logical way to determine whether Mega is a "nasakomist" would be to ask her. If, however, she really is one but lies and says she is not, we will all get a belly-laugh at her expense when she discovers that her followers are not "nasakomists" -- and she is on her own.

MARK BLAIR

Jakarta