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