Judging Megawati

Judging Megawati

Only days after the People's Consultative Assembly installed
Megawati Soekarnoputri as President of the Republic of Indonesia,
it is interesting -- and also more than a little discouraging --
to note the disparaging observations with which Indonesia's new
President has been greeted by the international media.

While most of those media analysts appear to be willing to
give Megawati the benefit of the doubt given her untested
performance in state affairs, the general pitch has leaned toward
the negative side.

The reputable Hong Kong-based news magazine the Far Eastern
Economic Review, in its Aug. 2 edition, even went so far as to
brand Megawati on its cover page as a "puppet president" who is
beholden to both the military, which abandoned former president
Abdurrahman Wahid and supported his impeachment, and the
"conservative forces" of president Soeharto's New Order regime.

"That would mean that reform will slow down, corruption could
go unpunished, and business confidence would be hard to restore.

"Her nationalist sentiments and her inclination to take firmer
action against separatist rebels make her a more reliable patron
of conservative political forces, and there are fears that this
will keep the military in the forefront of political life," the
article said.

Up to a certain extent it cannot be denied that Megawati has
only herself to blame for inviting such negative and unfair
comments from the international media. So far, Megawati has
largely avoided explaining her views about what she believes
Indonesia's future should be and how she proposes to achieve that
objective.

One could point out that former president Soeharto also didn't
like to personally elucidate his views on such matters. Soeharto,
however, had a group of competent ideologues and technocrats at
his disposal who could do the explaining for him. Furthermore, in
Megawati's case there is the rather unfortunate circumstance that
she had Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid as her immediate predecessor.
In terms of communication, a comparison between the two, as one
can easily see, immediately works in Megawati's disfavor.

For one thing, Abdurrahman speaks English well. He loves to
meet and talk to the press and knows how to use the media to his
advantage. He is also seen to represent the country's
prodemocracy movement through his many oral and written
discourses and through his activities in the Forum for Democracy.
He is a highly respected Islamic leader, yet is known for his
tolerant, inclusive views and stance in matters of religion. And
not only is Abdurrahman close to many populist non-governmental
organizations, he also has a daughter who knows how to
effectively reach out to such groups and individuals, especially
members of the working press.

One of Megawati's major personal weaknesses as a politician is
indeed her reticence. This is unfortunate since in a number of
private conversations Megawati has shown that she can surprise
her detractors with some well thought-out, judicious policy
decisions. It is true though, that in her current position as
president of the largest country in this region, it is of
critical importance that she make herself more accessible to
others. Given the existing circumstances, it seems that there is
a need for the office of the presidency to facilitate such
accessibility.

In conclusion, it is rather disappointing to see such quick
judgment passed on President Megawati by such a respected
publication as the Far Eastern Economic Review. It is difficult
to comprehend how such a hurried view could be arrived at by the
magazine, especially since its editor in chief, Mr. Michael
Vatikiosis, has worked in Indonesia for so many years. He surely
remembers, based on his Indonesian experience, the dictum to
always expect the unexpected. That is also applicable to
President Megawati Soekarnoputri.