Mega asks politicians to work for country

Mega asks politicians to work for country

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri called on the political elite
and the people in general on Sunday to sacrifice personal
ambition and to start working to bring the country out of the
current crisis.

Speaking before tens of thousands of her supporters in Medan,
North Sumatra, Megawati said that her government needed solid
support from political parties.

"Without strong support from the legislature and other
elements in society, it is impossible for the government I am
leading to function effectively," Megawati was quoted by Antara
as saying.

Megawati, who is also chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), took over the presidential
post in July 2001 riding on support from a loose coalition that
included the Golkar Party and Muslim-based political parties.

The coalition, however, appeared to be cracking after the
Attorney General's Office named House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who
is also Golkar chair, as a suspect in a Rp 54.6 billion financial
scandal involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Golkar, which played a pivotal role in ushering Megawati into
the number one post, once threatened to withdraw its support for
Megawati's administration if PDI Perjuangan continued to press
for the setting up of a House inquiry committee to investigate
Akbar's alleged misappropriation of the funds.

Without Golkar's backing, Megawati's administration is
unlikely to be able to function effectively as she does not enjoy
strong support from the Muslim-based parties.

Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais, the
speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), has also
been very critical of Megawati's policies.

Megawati also lamented the tendency of power-hungry
politicians to pursue their political ambitions which has
hindered the House's ability to deliberate bills badly needed to
institute reforms.

"Instead of working to get the country out of these crises, we
are focusing on bringing the other person down, with the hope
that once the (political) seat is empty one can immediately fill
it," said Megawati.

The nation's largest political parties have been plagued by
internal rifts. While members within PDI Perjuangan are primarily
broken into camps of old and new members, the Golkar Party is
divided into camps that support Akbar and those against him.
Rifts among party members within the United Development Party
(PPP) have led to the establishment of a splinter group.