Megawati stakes claim as leader

JAKARTA (JP): Opposition leader and presidential hopeful Megawati Soekarnoputri asserted on Thursday the victory of her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in the June 7 polls was a clear mandate for her to lead the nation.

"As the leader of the winning party, I have obtained the mandate from the people to form a new government which is in line with the people's aspirations," she said in her first political speech after winning the elections with 33.7 percent of the vote.

She claimed the election result was also a "no-confidence vote for the incumbent government".

Megawati therefore called on the government of President B.J. Habibie "not to take any decision that goes beyond its authority as a transitional government".

"I call on the head of the transitional government not to take any strategic and binding decisions without consulting the party which represents the majority of the vote," she said.

Megawati said the people wanted the current government to concentrate only on implementing the People's Consultative Assembly decrees, including one that mandates it to thoroughly settle alleged poll fraud.

Speaking to hundreds of assembled supporters, Megawati also clarified her stance on a number of issues including demands to bring former president Soeharto to trial, the military's sociopolitical role, amendment of the 1945 Constitution and the August self-determination ballot in East Timor.

"What should be done in relation to former president Soeharto is to have a direct and thorough investigation," Megawati said, adding that if he was found guilty, the justice system to be set up by her government would make sure that he was punished.

Regarding demands for the military to withdraw from politics, Megawati said she was bound by an agreement she signed in November along with three other reform leaders -- Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Abdurrahman Wahid of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X -- known as the Ciganjur accord.

"As a leader whose words and promises should be honored, I am clearly bound by the Ciganjur agreement," Megawati said.

The four leaders at that time agreed on a gradual pullout of the military from the country's political arena, including the House of Representatives.

She also said she was not opposed to amending the 1945 Constitution.

However, she said she would only agree to changes "after there is clarity on which specific articles are to be amended, why and for what they need to be amended".

Megawati also said she will accept the result of the UN- administered referendum on possible independence for East Timor.

"I have no intention whatsoever not to respect the decision that will be taken by the East Timorese to determine their own future through a referendum," she said.

"The agreement that has been signed by Indonesia and Portugal on the East Timor referendum is binding for the whole nation."

However, Megawati criticized Habibie's decision to hold the referendum and said if she were president she would never have allowed it to go ahead.

"Habibie's decision was in contempt of the 1978 People's Consultative Assembly decree that stipulates East Timor as Indonesia's 27th province."

Megawati also warned other Indonesian territories not to use the East Timor referendum as an argument to break away from the country.

"I call on all people to respect the sovereignty of Indonesia, referendums cannot be held in other Indonesian regions for whatever reasons," she said.

Calls for a referendum on self-determination have been mounting in the westernmost province of Aceh following a decade of brutal anti-rebel operations, which only halted last year. Groups of dissatisfied Irianese have also spoken of separation from the Indonesian state.

Megawati, however, said the source of all problems in Aceh were political, social and economic injustices.

"The Aceh problem is clear evidence of the failure of the New Order government and its successor to uphold the law and justice," Megawati said.

The military has been accused of widespread human rights abuses during the anti-rebel operations, but so far the government has failed to bring any alleged perpetrators to court.

Megawati broke down in tears when she said she would do her best to stop violence in the province, where more than 150 people have been killed in the clashes between the military and suspected rebels since May.

"When Cut Nya' (your female leader) leads the country, I will not let any single drop of blood touch the Aceh soil," Megawati said, referring to herself in an Acehnese term.

"I will give all my love and your Arun so that Acehnese can enjoy how beautiful their soil is," she said referring to the largest oil and gas field in the province.

Megawati also called on the House to put off deliberation of the bill on state security, saying the legitimacy of legislators was in question and the bill was prone to human rights violations.

Observers have warned that the bill grants excessive power to the military and the government in the event of perceived threats to the state.

The bill gives the president the authority to declare a state of emergency in troubled territories. The president also is allowed to delegate his or her authority to the military, which is given free rein to handle threats to state security.

Also present on Thursday were leaders from a number of other political parties, including Alwi Shihab and Matori Abdul Djalil of PKB, Abdillah Thoha of PAN, Edi Sudradjat and Hayono Isman of the Justice and Unity Party and former Cabinet member Sarwono Kusumaatmadja. (byg)