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.