Megawati gets full-blown support from minor parties

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)