Mega parties as July 27 is remembered

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

What was President Megawati Soekarnoputri doing when thousands of her die-hard supporters and victims of the July 27 bloody attack were crying out for justice last Saturday?

Throwing a party for her children, brothers and sisters of her businessman husband Taufik Kiemas, and several family business friends to celebrate her one year in office.

Sources close to the President told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that Megawati invited around 30 friends and family members to her residence on Jl. Teuku Umar, Menteng, Central Jakarta, to celebrate the anniversary of her ascent to the presidency.

"It was so ironic when she banned all party leaders from attending the July 27 commemoration, and then organized her own party at home," a source said.

Megawati took over the national leadership in July 2001 after members of the People's Consultative Assembly removed then president Abdurrahman Wahid for incompetence, among other things.

According to the source, the dinner party was organized by the wife of the state minister for state-owned enterprises, Retty Laksamana Sukardi. Laksamana also attended the dinner.

Thousands of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) supporters and victims of the bloody 1996 attack on the PDI headquarters demanded Saturday the prosecution of those responsible for the violence.

They also urged Megawati to withdraw her support for the reelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, who is widely seen as being one of those responsible for the attack.

Megawati has been under fire for neglecting the incident, which gave her a lot of prestige as an opposition leader during the repressive regime of former president Soeharto.

Sutiyoso was the Jakarta Military Command chief when the incident, which was said to have been organized by the military, took place.

"It's as if she does not remember that all the blood and tears were for her and the attack was made against her," the source said.