Mega, don't waste public support!
Mega, don't waste public support!
From Media Indonesia
Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle Ibu
Megawati Soekarnoputri was unanimously elected in the People's
Consultative Assembly Special Session on July 23, 2001 to replace
former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid. She has received
the mandate to rule the country until 2004 from the People's
Consultative Assembly. Must President Megawati give Cabinet
positions to the supporting factions in the Special Session as a
token of gratitude?
Let us test the sincerity of the President and the other nine
factions. What is requested from them is their sacrifice not to
sit in the Cabinet for the sake of holding power, but to solve
the problems facing the country in the present multi-faceted
crisis. They should start thinking about how to end the
sufferings that have befallen the people until now. Allow us to
call on President Megawati and the other nine factions to
thoroughly consider the following simple ideas:
1. Draw up simple but solid working plans and programs,
considering the country's and the people's miserable conditions.
2. If necessary, President Megawati should appoint ministers not
coming from the nine factions supporting her. The persons
appointed should be skillful, highly professional, "clean" and
honest.
As a daughter of Bung Karno, the founding father of the
Republic of Indonesia, Megawati has proved herself capable of
uniting the people, at least within the People's Consultative
Assembly, to support her. So, now it is the time for her to try
to act like Bung Hatta as a fully-dedicated, honest and clean
administrator. Don't let the support that she has enjoyed and the
unity she has built be wasted. It's time Megawati and the parties
supporting her gave an example of how to make a sacrifice for the
sake of the people. And, remember the people are too tired to
make any more sacrifices. If Megawati and the parties supporting
her give the impression to the people that they are concerned
only with power sharing, what difference is there between her
administration and the previous one?
JUGIA WAHAB
Jakarta