Megawati tells candidates to work hard to win election
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri told members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) on Monday to work hard to win the 2004 elections.
"We have to work hard to win the elections, without which it will be difficult for us to emerge as a people's party," Megawati said in front of thousands of party supporters in Kebumen regency, Central Java, Antara reported.
During the trip, the President was accompanied by her husband Taufik Kiemas, Minister of Trade and Industry Rini Soewandi and Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih.
PDI Perjuangan won the 1999 general election with almost 35 percent of the vote, but doubts have emerged that the party can repeat its success, partly due to Megawati's perceived poor performance.
PDI Perjuangan, the biggest faction in the House of Representatives with 153 seats, has also made several controversial moves, including backing the reelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso last year.
Megawati told her supporters that the party's image would play a significant role in winning the elections. The country's first direct presidential election will also be held next year.
Analysts have warned that PDI Perjuangan may lose its traditional backers. Megawati, the party's sole presidential candidate, may also face tough competition in the race for the presidency, notably from noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid.
The Golkar Party and several Muslim-based parties have hinted at nominating Nurcholish as their presidential candidate.
Megawati has increased her tours across the country to meet supporters over the past couple of months as election time closes in.
The President was on a one-day tour to Central Java province to visit a corn plantation in Kebumen and Air Force Academy students at Adi Soetjipto air base in Yogyakarta.
The visit had been scheduled some time ago, and coincided with the lapse of a two-week deadline for the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to give up calls for independence and disarm.
Aceh has held the attention of the country over past weeks, and Megawati has often had to rearrange her agenda to deal with the problem.
She canceled a visit to Papua on May 17 and will hold a limited Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which is usually the day she takes care of party matters.
Speaking before Air Force cadets, the President warned that Indonesia was not unaffected by international power struggles as many developed countries wanted to dominate Indonesia.
"Many countries want to have control over us and force their ideology upon us, but we have chosen to remain free and not be part of any international bloc," the President said. She did not elaborate.
Megawati also called on the cadets to protect the territorial integrity of the country.
"We are a peace-loving country, but we have the right to determine our own sovereignty," she said.