Megawati declares readiness for presidency
Megawati declares readiness for presidency
JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri, ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and daughter of the country's first president Sukarno, declared her readiness to become a presidential candidate and urged incumbent President Soeharto not to go for a seventh consecutive term.
"With all sincerity and honesty... I will be ready to lead this country if it is the wish and aspiration of the people," she said at a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of PDI last night.
The ceremony was held at her residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta.
Her statement received resounding applause from about 2,000 PDI members, who claimed to be her loyalists.
Megawati said her nomination was made in the absence of bold individuals willing to declare their readiness to be elected.
She cited names like Vice President Try Sutrisno, Minister of Information R. Hartono, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, former vice president Sudharmono and former minister of home affairs Rudini as people who have often been lauded as possible candidates.
She noted that none off them had openly declared themselves candidates or even been nominated to replace Soeharto.
Megawati made a strong plea to people not to renominate Soeharto in next March's presidential election.
She said renominating Soeharto, who had served for more than 30 years, could make it a tendency to make him president for life.
"Indonesians should not make the same mistake twice," she said referring to her father Sukarno, who was once given the accolade of president for life.
Megawati said it would be "unwise, speculative and irresponsible" for those wishing to "force" their will to renominate Soeharto, especially in his current condition.
Soeharto will be 77 in June.
"Give him time to rest. Give him to time to live again as a regular citizen. Because I am sure that he doesn't want to be president for life.
"There is a time when everyone realizes that they are normal human beings, whether his name is Sukarno or Soeharto, who have weaknesses," Megawati said.
Only the dominant Golkar faction has publicly announced that it is renominating Soeharto.
During a reception celebrating Golkar's anniversary in October, Soeharto urged the faction to make sure people really wanted him for another term.
Soeharto's daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana said recently that the family would rather see him not serve another term.
Megawati urged the nation to make preparations for a peaceful state leadership succession to help eliminate the crisis of confidence, which she claimed had prolonged the monetary crisis.
She called on the country to simultaneously conduct political and economic reforms, in an effort to boost the ailing economy.
Last night's gathering proceeded smoothly after police had earlier warned they would break up the meeting if she pronounced it as a PDI gathering.
Megawati was deposed by Soerjadi as PDI leader in a government-backed move in June 1996.
The government only recognizes the PDI board under Soerjadi's leadership, who held his own anniversary celebration last night in Kuningan, South Jakarta. Only 100 people attended the ceremony at Soerjadi's residence.
When asked about Megawati's nomination, Soerjadi said he appreciated it.
"We will always appreciate everyone's aspirations. However, we should wait until the general meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in March to see if there will be any MPR members or factions supporting her nomination," he said.
A senior member of the defunct Indonesian Nationalist Party, one of four political parties which merged into PDI in 1973, Supeni, said Megawati's nomination was good for the development of democracy and women's emancipation in Indonesia. (imn/amd)