Megawati gets full-blown support from minor parties

JAKARTA (JP): Formal support for Megawati Soekarnoputri to replace President Abdurrahman Wahid grew on Wednesday as two house factions stated their political backing for a change of leadership.

Support came from the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP) who separately expressed their desire to see the Vice President succeed Abdurrahman.

PAN formally announced their political stance, issuing a recommendation at their national meeting in Sanur, Bali, on Wednesday, saying such a transition of power is necessary as Abdurrahman "has failed to meet his constitutional mandate".

"In the event of the President experiencing certain obstacles, resigning or being punished in a special session due to violating state guidelines ... the latter must be removed (from the post)," PAN chairman Amien Rais said.

Amien, who is also chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), further added that if Megawati took the helm and replaced Abdurrahman, the post of vice president could "either remain vacant or be filled."

"On that matter PAN is taking a flexible stance. If the post of vice president is to be filled, the MPR would run an election after Megawati was sworn in as president. If not, the post would remain empty as in the previous Habibie administration," Amien explained.

Amien, however, asserted that PAN would stick to "constitutional methods" in pursuit of the proposed national leadership arrangement.

Chairman of PPP, Hamzah Has, said that his party supports Megawati to replace Abdurrahman because it was just "temporary."

"PPP has been accused of being inconsistent, in the past it was against a female president, but now it agrees. The agreement is made considering the current situation of the nation, and that Mega will become a president temporarily by (until) 2004," Hamzah said before local councillors of the PPP faction in Pekan Baru, Riau, in the provincial congress.

Hamzah said that if Megawati becomes president, this is in accordance with the Constitution, and as an Islamic Party, PPP will respect the Constitution.

He said that the party will be consistent in its vision to defend and uphold the moral good.

PPP supporters would not reject a female president, let alone, conduct violence to hamper her.

"Mass deployment, like what Abdurrahman's supporters are currently doing, is not democratic," he said.

He criticized the ready-to-die supporters of the President, saying that such activities are a waste of time.

He said that the axis force, including PPP, used to support Gus Dur on two conditions: that he is able to uphold and propagate Islamic values and improve public welfare.

"If Gus Dur is able to do that, please let him go ahead not until 2004, but until 2009," he said.

He said that under his leadership, there has been no sign of improvement in the economy, security conditions or politics.

"The condition has actually got worse," he said.

Aberson Marle Sihaloho, an outspoken legislator of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), issued a warning to Megawati.

"Megawati's current political maneuvering to win political support from the military and factions that blocked her candidacy in the 1999 presidential election, goes beyond the Constitution and PDI Perjuangan's platform," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He said PDI Perjuangan nominated Megawati, also chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan, as its candidate in the last presidential election because it won support from around 38 million people who voted for the party in the last elections and not from the military and other factions in the People's Consultative Assembly.

"Megawati once promised that she was ready to be president only if the people elected her. She declared, following the party's victory in the elections, that she was factually the president," he said.

Aberson also said he was disappointed with Megawati's support for the military's repressive approach to national unity.

"The military, especially the Army, is seemingly behind Megawati and the latter has allowed repressive military action in handling separatist activities in Aceh and Irian," he said.

Asked about Megawati's decision to maintain Arifin Panigoro in his present position in the party and its faction at the House, Aberson said Megawati has used Arifin to lobby the military and other factions at the House and the Assembly for the presidential position.

"For Megawati, the presidential position is a matter of now or never," he said. (edt/rms)