Megawati, siblings mark father's anniversary
Febiola Desy Unidjaja and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandung
In celebrating the 102nd anniversary of founding president Sukarno's birth, President Megawati Soekarnoputri held a purifying ceremony for her father's amulets at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday.
Clad in a kebaya (traditional blouse), Sukarno's eldest daughter attended the ceremony, which was led by five preachers from Karangasem and Gianyar, Bali.
Sukarno's mother was Ida Ayu Nyoman Rai Srimben, a Balinese Hindu high priest's daughter, and Raden Mas Soekemi Sosrodihardjoe, a Javanese school teacher.
The ceremony, titled Karya Agung Pasupati Pusakaning Bung Karno in Indonesian, was also attended by Sukarno's sons Guruh Soekarnoputra and Guntur Soekarnoputra.
The press were barred from covering the sacred ritual.
Purifying amulets such as traditional daggers and spears is considered sacred by most Indonesians who still believe in such traditions.
Many believe that Megawati is among those Indonesians who believe that keeping amulets will ensure the welfare of the deceased and also maintain ties between the deceased and his offspring.
But not all of Sukarno's children attended the ceremony. Local newspapers reported that Rachmawati Soekarnoputri was against the celebration.
"Even if I was asked to participate, I would have said no," she was quoted by the Rakyat Merdeka daily as saying on Friday.
She suspected that Megawati was trying to invoke supernatural powers to maintain her presidency, which has come under sharp criticism recently.
Rachmawati has always been Megawati's staunchest critic and has allied herself with Megawati's political opponents, such as former president Abdurrahman Wahid and National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais.
Instead of attending the ceremony, Rachmawati staged a large ceremony attended by 1,000 supporters of her newly-founded Pioneer Party (Partai Pelopor).
In Bandung, Sukarno's anniversary was celebrated by dedicating an Indonesia Menggugat (Indonesia Demands) plaque at the former Dutch Landraad (District Court) building.
The plaque was signed by Megawati on Dec. 30, 2002, when she visited Bandung.
West Java Governor R. Nuriana said that the dedication marked the renovation of the building, which was where Sukarno and three of his colleagues, Gatot Mangkoepradja, Maskoen Soemadiredja and Soepriadinata, were tried by the Netherlands Indies administration on Dec. 22, 1930 for attempting to subvert the lawfully established government.
At the trial, Sukarno read out his own defense, which later came to be known as Indonesia Menggugat. He was convicted and sentenced to four years in Sukamiskin jail.