Megawati passes 2002 with good fortune

Megawati passes 2002 with good fortune

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite many flaws and disappointments, President Megawati
Soekarnoputri had a few major achievements in 2002 that will be
recorded in history books.

Ending this year with the signing of a landmark peace
agreement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Megawati enters 2003
with the confidence that she will be able to handle any challenge
the new year may bring.

Her administration also passed the test of dealing with
terrorism, thanks to hard work by the police in unraveling the
deadly Bali bombing that killed over 190 people and injured some
300 others, mostly foreign vacationers.

Although Megawati failed to communicate her policies in
dealing with terrorism, she was able to solicit support from the
Muslim community in fighting terrorism, which threatened to
plunge the country into another economic crisis.

The sealing of the peace agreement with GAM, which has been
fighting for an independent state since 1976, and the arrest of
people believed to be responsible for the deadly Oct. 12 Bali
attack, eclipsed her weaknesses and failures in 2002.

There is no doubt that Megawati -- who assumed the
presidential post after the People's Consultative Assembly, the
country's highest law-making body, removed Abdurrahman "Gus Dur"
Wahid for incompetence in July 2001 -- owes her success to
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.
The two high-ranking officials demonstrated strong commitment in
dealing with the two issues, allowing President Megawati to look
good before her domestic constituents and the international
community.

Despite her successes, people's trust and support for her
administration continued to diminish throughout 2002 as reflected
in a number of polls carried out by several research agencies.

And Megawati has only herself to blame. Megawati continued to
dash people's hopes for reform and chose to compromise with New
Order forces for the sake of political stability.

Her political backing for the reelection of Sutiyoso as
Jakarta governor and for Akbar Tandjung to retain his position of
House of Representatives speaker are glaring examples of her
compromising attitude. The military, represented by Sutiyoso, and
Golkar and its New Order regime, by Akbar, have long been
considered the prime enemies of the reform movement.

Another compromise she made was when she decided to issue
release and discharge (R&D) papers for bad debtors who cost the
country some Rp 158 trillion in emergency funds disbursed at the
beginning of economic crisis in 1997.

At the family level, Megawati has always been surrounded by
rumors regarding the business activities of her husband Taufik
Kiemas and daughter Puan Maharani.

Although, no one is willing to file legal complaints against
the first family, stories about Taufik and Puan are often
discussed in business circles.

Megawati showed little sensitivity to the suffering of
hundreds of thousands of Indonesian expelled from Malaysia
because of visa violations.

Her mysterious way of thinking and silence reminded the people
of former president Soeharto, who also never explained the
reasons behind many unpopular decisions.

Officials often say that Megawati never really takes the lead,
as she has never taken charge of important matters and has made
no bold decisions to overcome the economic crisis.

A palace source once told The Jakarta Post that Megawati did
nothing to put an end to the bickering between Susilo and Vice
President Hamzah Haz during a Cabinet meeting after the Bali
blasts.

"She just sat there and said not a word. It was Minister of
Transportation Agum Gumelar who tried to end the exchange of
words," the source said.

That two of her senior aides would display so little respect
for her demonstrates how weak she is in leading her
administration.

In a poll conducted by Kompas daily in July, a majority of the
public expressed disappointment with Megawati's leadership by
rating her administration's performance in political reform and
the judiciary as poor.

The poll also reported that 85 percent of the respondents were
dissatisfied with her administration's efforts to eradicate
rampant corruption.

One of the most interesting findings in the survey is that 74
percent of the respondents who claimed to be Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) voters in the 1999
election expressed dissatisfaction with Megawati's government.

In another survey by the Center for Political Studies (CPS),
the majority of those polled considered Megawati unfit to retain
power, with only 8.52 percent of the respondents in favor of her,
even below Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with 10.83 percent.

However, despite public disappointment, Megawati seems to be
content with her leadership style and sometimes lashes out at her
critics, saying that analysts just talk and never provide any
solutions for the country's ailments.

It is very likely that Megawati's rating will improve after
the signing of peace agreement with GAM in Aceh and the arrest of
the suspected terrorists responsible for the Bali bombings.

One notable change after the government embarked on the
antiterrorism drive is the disbanding of two radical groups that
often took the law into their own hands: Laskar Jihad and the
Islam Defenders Front (FPI).

The Acehnese were filled with joy when the peace agreement was
signed on Dec. 9 as it brings new hope for a better life after 26
years of conflict in the province.

However, the two successes are not proof that Megawati has
improved her style of leadership.

What are her chances in 2003 when the political climate is
expected to heighten in view of preparations for elections in
2004? Only Megawati knows the answer.