Megawati's reelection a setback for democratic development

Megawati's reelection a setback for democratic development

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The reelection of Megawati Soekarnoputri as leader of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) during the
party's congress in Bali last Thursday reinforces the proposition
that after more than six years from the fall of the Soeharto
dictatorship, democracy has not yet entrenched itself into one of
the key institutions that is supposed to uphold its existence.

It also serves as a bitter reminder to those true champions of
democracy within the party that they still have a long way to go.

Megawati was elected as party leader for the third time in a
row, in a contest stripped of any possible competition. She was
re-elected simply because there were no other candidates.

In the run-up to the congress, party members were constantly
told that she was the only credible figure that could lead this
populist, nationalist-oriented party.

Speculation was rife prior to the congress that PDI-P branches
were coerced into nominating Megawati in exchange for certain
rewards.

When the party congress was finally convened, all stops were
pulled out to ensure her re-election, reducing the significance
of the Rp 11 billion (US$ 1.15 billion) event to that of a rubber
stamp.

In the early stages of the congress, the party's central
board pushed for a bloc vote mechanism for the leadership
election. The mechanism was finally endorsed by representatives
from the PDI-P's provincial and regental branches, with the
exception of the 24 participants representing Papua.

Then came the most severe blow to democracy within the party:
Megawati was declared leader of the party after the bulk of local
party representatives accepted her accountability speech, despite
the fact that she failed to guide PDI-P to victory in the
legislative and presidential elections last year, as mandated by
the party in its 2000 congress.

All congress sessions were cut short, preventing delegates
from taking part in thorough and quality deliberations on matters
related to bread-and-butter issues. A session held to discuss
Megawati's accountability speech clocked in at only 10 minutes.

What transpired during last week's congress was reminiscent of
the patrician political playacting of Soeharto, who was re-
elected President unopposed every five years like clockwork, for
the entire 32-years of his tenure. Every time a presidential
election was due, the elderly autocrat would "refuse" to be
nominated. Leaders of the three legal political parties of that
time along with Soeharto-appointed representative from the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) would queue up at his
private residence to express their support for his next five-year
term and to "beg" him to become President again.

This last congress will establish the PDI-P as one of the few
political parties that have failed to modernize and shift away
from dependence on charismatic leadership in order to sustain
their existence.

The congress failed to usher in the transformations that could
have led to the emergence of a modern political party that banks
on its structure and political programs to prosper rather than
the shallow charisma of its incumbent leader. Instead, PDI-P
moved further away from such a possibility.

Megawati is now viewed by too many PDI-P members as being the
sole representative of the party.

All her high-handed "prerogatives" remain intact, and she is
liable to use them whenever necessary, just like when she
appointed her younger brother Guruh Soekarnoputra as head of the
culture department, a move that could be viewed as settlement of
a family feud.

At the early stage of the congress, Guruh declared that he
would challenge Megawati for the party's leadership with the
backing of a reform group. However, he made an inexplicable,
last-minute decision to join Megawati's camp.

But should the affairs of a national political party be a
family concern?