Megawati vows to restore PDI-P pride

Megawati vows to restore PDI-P pride

M. Taufiqurrahman and Dwi Atmanta, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The national congress of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) wound up on Thursday with newly reelected leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri announcing the lineup of her aides whom
she said would have to help her win back public trust and a
victory in the next elections.

Compared to the previous lineup, the composition of the new
party leadership is far bigger as it comprises 27 people. The
congress had asked Megawati to pick more people to sit on the
central board to help the party reach out to its constituents and
cope with more complicated challenges in the future.

"We managed to complete the congress democratically and form
the new central board that will work to rebuild the party's image
and win the elections in 2009," Megawati told a plenary meeting,
which began over an hour later than the scheduled 7 p.m. start,
local time.

Megawati kept old faces on the central board, including
Pramono Anung Wibowo, who moved up to the secretary-general post,
the party's second person in command. Pramono, who is also a
House of Representatives member, was formerly the deputy
secretary-general under Sutjipto, who now leads the party's
department of regional autonomy and home affairs.

Shortly after being named secretary-general, Pramono said he
would quit the House.

"I will focus on improving the party and help Mbak Mega
rebuild the party, consolidate and rekindle the spirit of the
constituents to win the elections," Pramono said, adding that he
would submit his resignation letter to the House leadership on
Monday or Tuesday. The House is now in recess until the end of
the month.

Also staying on the board are Mangara Siahaan and Agnita
Singadikane, who maintain their positions as deputy secretaries
general, and Theo Sjafei, who now heads the party's department of
security and defense.

As if to prove her commitment to guiding the party's recovery,
Megawati also picked old members who are known to be her critics,
including Alex Litaay, the secretary-general in the 1994-1999
period who leads the department of membership and organizational
affairs, and her brother Guruh Soekarnoputra who accepted his
post after dropping his bid to challenge Megawati in the race for
the top post.

Newcomers include Tjahjo Kumolo, and businessmen Daniel
Setiawan, Murdaya Pho and Phillip Wijaya.

Megawati said she relied on her new aides, who she said had
been proposed by delegates of the congress and gone through a
tough selection process.

"I hope the new party leaders will serve the party, not me,"
she said, to the noisy applause of congress participants who now
have two days to rest on the tourist island of Bali.

But not everybody was happy with the new party lineup. The
Bali delegates expressed their disappointment with the new
composition for ignoring their input. They said the selection of
Dewi Sukma Jaksa as the deputy treasurer for assets did not come
from the provincial chapter.

"Her inclusion was the work of invisible hands," one of the
Bali delegates said. Sukma is a Bali native who now lives in
Jakarta.

The lineup of the PDI-P central board for the 2005-2010 period

Chairwoman: Megawati Soekarnoputri

Secretary-general: Pramono Anung Wibowo

Deputy sec-gen for internal affairs: Mangara Siahaan

Deputy sec-gen for external affairs: Agneta Singadikane

Deputy sec-gen for governmental function: Sutradara Gintings

Treasurer: Phillip Wijaya

Deputy treasurer for funding: Daniel Budi Setiawan

Deputy treasurer for party assets: Dewi Sukma Jaksa

Internal affairs:

Election victory: Tjahjo Kumolo

Ideology and regeneration: Suwarno

Membership and organizational affairs: Alex Litaay

Human resources and funding: Murdaya Poo

Mass communications and media: Panda Nababan

External affairs:

Youth, student and sports: Maruarar Sirait

Labor, farmers and fisherman: Jacob Nuwa Wea

Education and culture: Guruh Soekarnoputra

Small- and middle-scale entrepreneurship and cooperatives: Mindo
Sianipar

Religious affairs: Hamka Haque

Organizational and community affairs: Dody Makmun Murod

Information and communication: Daryatmo

Environmental and community services: Sony Keraf

Governmental function

Security and defense: Theo Sjafei

People's welfare: Adang Ruchiatna

Economy and finance: Emier Moeis

Foreign affairs: Arif Budimanta

Regional autonomy and home affairs: Soetjipto

Justice and human rights: Firman Jaya Daeli