Megawati calls for modest lifestyle

Megawati calls for modest lifestyle

Rita A. Widiadana and
Wahyoe Boedhiwardhana
The Jakarta Post
Mengwi, Bali

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, currently under strong attack
for the recent fuel and utility hikes, exhorted the entire
community, including government officials, politicians and
community leaders, to live modestly amid the prolonged economic
slump.

"All the people should live modestly and tighten their belts
so that Indonesia can escape from the debt trap and become more
independent economically," she said in Bali on Sunday.

Megawati made the appeal as almost daily protests continued
since last week across the archipelago to push her government to
reverse the simultaneous rises in fuel prices, and electricity
and telephone charges.

"Let us bear the burden together," she told thousands of her
supporters attending a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of
her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

Her appeals for frugality would, however, appear to exclude
herself and her family as the nation's formerly most popular
public leader now seems to have embraced a lavish lifestyle,
including owning several luxury homes.

Many have also condemned as lavish her husband Taufik Kiemas'
birthday celebration earlier this month on the resort island, to
which hundreds of guests were invited, including almost 500
members of the House of Representatives.

Similarly, Megawati's daughter, Puan Maharani, booked 30 seats
for concerts by Taiwanese boy band F4 last Friday and Saturday
nights at the Kemayoran Fairground in Central Jakarta.

She showed up with a retinue of presidential bodyguards,
according to organizers.

Sunday's anniversary celebration for the Megawati-led PDI
Perjuangan, which was held at the Mengwitani soccer field in the
regency of Badung some 15 kilometers north of the Bali capital of
Denpasar, has also been condemned as extravagant given that it
cost about Rp 1.5 billion.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said on
Sunday that he had refused to attend the celebration, claiming it
was excessive.

"Under the currently difficult situation, should I go to Bali
to participate in the PDI Perjuangan's anniversary celebration?
Well, I think it is rather lavish. That's why I'm not going," he
was quoted by Antara as saying in Solo, Central Java.

Megawati, who was scheduled to address the crowd at 2 p.m.
local time, arrived 30 minutes late as she and her entourage were
having lunch at a luxury hotel in Tabanan.

Lukas Karl Degey, who chairs this year's PDI Perjuangan's
anniversary organizing committee, had boasted that the event
would be attended by 50,000 party members, excluding VIP guests.
But, only around 3,000 Megawati supporters showed up.

"Many party members, especially those coming from outside
Bali, got stuck in traffic jams or were stranded at Gilimanuk
harbor in western Bali, while some decided to go home early," he
said attempting to explain the low turnout at the event.

Bali is a Megawati stronghold, and helped ensure her party's
victory in the 1999 general election. However, many Balinese and
other Indonesians have vowed not to support her reelection bid in
2004 amid widespread criticism of her poor performance in running
the country.

Many party members attending the event left before Megawati
finished her speech so as to spend the rest of the day in Kuta
and other holiday resorts across Bali.

Among the Cabinet members present were Minister of State
Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, Minister of Home Affairs Hari
Sabarno, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi and Minister of Trade
and Industry Rini Soewandi.

In her speech, Megawati also told party members to get ready
for the 2004 general election.

"We have experienced a number of general elections, but this
upcoming election will be very important in the country's
democratic history," Megawati said. The 2004 election will allow
Indonesians to directly elect their president and vice president
for the first time.

"We have only 16 months left to prepare. I instruct every
member of the party to actively inform all people in the cities,
villages and in remote areas to put forward their best
candidates," she said.

Megawati said the PDI Perjuangan would prioritize candidates
who were willing to make sacrifices in the interests of the
people.

"We don't want candidates who only want to receive dirty
money, those who always hurt the people, or those who are
incapable of doing their jobs properly," she added.

She also warned that under changes to be made to the political
system, each political party would be able to dismiss dissenting
member from the House.