Megawati's nomination 'up to the people'

JAKARTA (JP): Aides to Megawati Soekarnoputri said her willingness to run for the presidency was not a mere political show and it is the people who now have to decide whether they would like to see her nominated as the next president.

Kwik Kian Gie, a Megawati loyalist who chairs her research and development center, said yesterday that the ball was no longer in Megawati's court.

"It's not up to members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), who are supposed to represent the people, or the general public, to decide whether they want to follow up Megawati's presidential nomination," he told journalists at Megawati's residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta.

Megawati, ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party and daughter of the country's first president Sukarno, declared Saturday her readiness to become a presidential candidate and urged incumbent President Soeharto not to run for a seventh consecutive term.

She said she would be willing to be nominated since no other candidate was bold enough to announce their candidacy.

While there has been some qualified support and even admiration of her intention, many observers remain skeptical about whether she can really have an impact on the presidential election process.

But Kwik said yesterday that Megawati's nomination was not mere rhetoric.

"It's not entirely impossible as people are already talking about it," he said, adding that expressions of support have poured in from individuals and foreign diplomats.

"We have permanent contact with the U.S. government, through its embassy here, as well as regular contact with the U.S. Congress and Senate," he said.

Kwik's deputy, Mochtar Buchori, said Megawati's seriousness in being nominated was evident by her initiative in establishing a "shadow cabinet".

"She already has a broad picture of her cabinet if she is elected," Mochtar said.

Former minister of home affairs, Rudini, acknowledged Megawati's nomination announcement, but suggested she examine whether she had any real support in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Rudini has been named as one of the most capable people to fill the top state executive post. Megawati herself said Rudini was often lauded as a possible candidate.

Rudini, chairman of an informal military think tank, the Institute for Strategic Studies of Indonesia (LPSI), said he was not personally adverse to being nominated.

But he said it would be unethical since the Golkar faction, of which he is a member, had already declared its intention to renominate Soeharto.

"I'd feel uneasy if I had to nominate myself while the Golkar executive board renominated President Soeharto for another five- year term," he said.

Ripple

Rudini believes Megawati's nomination would cause a ripple in the existing mechanism for presidential election.

"With the MPR being dominated by Golkar, it is not realistic to join the presidential race if we know we won't win," he said. "It's more realistic if she joins the vice presidential race, as this is the only race which is still open for her."

Brushing aside the impact that she might have, Rudini said Megawati's nomination amounted to no more than a political appeal that it is not wrong to name several candidates other than incumbent president Soeharto for the presidency.

The leader of the 30 million-strong Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Abdurrahman Wahid, said the government should respond to Megawati's bid with wisdom as it is intended as a critique toward improving the state of democracy in the country.

Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, said despite her slim chances, Megawati had succeeded in breaking a political taboo of not nominating oneself for the presidency.

"The problem is not whether President Soeharto should step down or not, but how idealism is articulated as frequently as possible so that it materializes and develops into real politics," Abdurrahman said during a breaking of the fast gathering at NU's office here yesterday.

Abdurrahman said he does not expect immediate political change following Megawati's statement. He also does not place much hope in factions in the People's Consultative Assembly supporting Megawati.

"The most important thing is we have to maintain the tradition of making a fair assessment of the situation and take a brave stance in response to it," he said.

Each of the five factions will unveil its presidential candidate on March 8. The election of the president will be conducted by the 1,000 Assembly members on March 10.

Abdurrahman said the government would pay dearly if it maintained its obsolete, heavy-handed measures against Megawati.

"The brave heart Megawati has shown represents the people's courage. It is now escalating," he said.

Meanwhile, an alliance of 16 prominent student groups and NGOs called on the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) yesterday not to renominate the incumbent President Soeharto for the presidency.

In a petition handed over to Kafrawi Ridwan, a member of the dominant Golkar faction's executive board at the Assembly, the alliance said Soeharto's "physical condition and age no longer enable him to lead the nation".

"The MPR must organize an open, competitive, and democratic (presidential) succession process, while keeping the nation from falling into a situation that can tear it apart," they said in their petition which fell short of naming a presidential candidate of their own. (imn/amd/aan)