Megawati's supremacy

Megawati's supremacy

As it has turned out, it is not exaggerated to call Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri a phenomenon of supremacy. When she remained
silent, people became bitter because they were afraid that her
supremacy would be threatened. But when she finally spoke, people
were touched as they came under the spell of her supremacy.

Megawati's political speech constituted not merely a rejoinder
to the criticism and disparagements she had received; in several
parts it even offered solutions. The appendage presenting her
vision on the economic policies she would adopt if elected
president is a more than adequate proposal for consideration.

Mega spoke of Aceh, where up to this moment confusion
continues to reign, with perfection -- not by using grandiose
phrases, but through compassion. She never attempted to resort to
verbal sophistication to charm her audience, nor was there any
attempt to underscore her statements through dramatic intonation.
Instead, she moved her audience's emotions with a simplicity of
thought that touched the public's conscience. She never
exaggerated and remained reasonable throughout.

All the arguments in Mega's political speech -- if that is
what it was -- were based on a measure of common sense that was
enough to effectively neutralize all the criticism that people
had been hurling at her. And the conclusive morale of her
political speech reflected her unyielding conviction in the
supremacy of the people's sovereignty.

Mega spoke in the language of reason, translating to
perfection the simplicity, the modesty and the direct character
of the people's conscience. That capability -- we could perhaps
call it charisma -- constitutes a strong base on which Megawati's
supremacy can be made to stand.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta