My birthday wish for the nation if I were President Megawati

Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, korpur@yahoo.com

If most people expect presents on their birthday, I, the Indonesian President, would change this custom and use the occasion to confer the most memorable gift from the president to all Indonesians.

I would try to answer their demands for a better life. I would apologize to those who voted for my Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) for disappointing them. I would also answer (with love) all cynical views about my leadership, including from the media and from people jealous of my luck. I would want to prove that I am not deaf. I am not as stupid as my critics suspect because I am just a university dropout, but, of course am not as great a genius as many of my followers believe.

Of course I would also wish that the people, especially those who are impatient to be called Bapak President, open their ears. I would also wish that the media were not just keen to criticize me but also to open their hearts to listen to my rebukes.

First of all, on Thursday morning, I wish that it will be my husband Taufik Kiemas, and not one of my three colonel adjutants, who, this time, wakes me up with his whispered, "Happy birthday honey". Then we would say our dawn prayer in our private room. Unlike the glamorous celebration of my husband's 60th birthday party in Bali on Dec. 31, I wish to celebrate my 56th birthday only with Taufik, our sons Rizki and Pranada, daughter Puan Maharani and our grandchildren.

I love Taufik very much and am very proud of him as he has no feelings of inferiority as the husband of the country's fifth president. He is my third husband and he loves my two sons as his own children. In March we will commemorate our 30th wedding anniversary. And, no less important, we share the same sign of the zodiac, Capricorn. I know that many people do not like his role in my life but Taufik and I are inseparable.

If Taufik asked me to make a birthday wish I would say: "I want you to swear that your love to me will not fade away." Another would be, "Please just talk to me and not to the public. And avoid the problematic tycoons."

I was born in Yogyakarta on Jan. 23, 1947. On my birthday, I always read page 247 of my father's book Sukarno: An autobiography as told to Cindy Adams:

"Never will I forget the night of Jan. 23. It was thundering. My wife lay in the bedroom, which had been fitted out specially as a hospital. Suddenly the lights went out, the roof caved in, the dark, swollen clouds opened and water rained in like a river ... In the darkness, by the light of a candle, our daughter was born. We named her Megawati. Mega means cloud."

I felt very lucky from my birth. I was born the daughter of a president. And when I die at least I will leave this world as a former president.

By the way, I do not expect any birthday present. I'm relieved that I have even presented the most memorable gift to the nation: I agreed to review the price of fuel, electricity and telephone rates. For me it was a great sacrifice, because I had to swallow my own words, that no one could force me to change my mind about the price hikes. It was a very bitter decision.

I did not want to back down to the protesters. But my ministers and advisers were too horrified at the demonstrations. Were they worried about the country's stability, or just fearful for their own positions?

I think I have been benevolent, not just to my own loyal voters from PDI Perjuangan but also to my political rivals, such as Amien Rais. On Tuesday I openly declared my readiness to run for next year's presidential election. It would have been better if I had just kept the plan to myself. But I was very upset at the ambitious politicians who wanted to delete my name from next year's campaign.

However, I would also tell the people that I would not sacrifice the country for the sake of my ambition. It is true that I want to join the presidential race, because in 1999 I was elected only as vice president. I became president in July 2001 only because Abdurrahman Wahid was impeached by the People's Consultative Assembly. Therefore I want to achieve my dream of being elected, not appointed, as president.

Back to my birthday plan: On Thursday I would chair a plenary Cabinet meeting and scold all the ministers. My first target would be Attorney General MA Rachman. I would tell him to leave office within a week. How can an alleged corruptor be entrusted to eradicate corruption? I would also tell my favorite minister, Kwik Kian Gie, to shut up or leave the Cabinet, because I need a united Cabinet, even though I do respect him.

I would also bluntly tell Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi that they will lose their seats unless they are able to clean up state oil and gas company Pertamina and state electricity firm PLN within a month.

Then I would hold a rare media conference with my husband and children. I would use the opportunity to apologize to the poor for my negligence toward them. I would promise not to repeat my arrogance in the price hike. And no less important: I would apologize also for my unforgivable foolishness in supporting the reelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.

I would donate half of my monthly salary to help the education of poor children, whom I would select personally.

In the media meeting, my husband Taufik would also pledge to withdraw from business activities during my presidency.

And how about Vice President Hamzah Haz? I would praise him in public for his cooperation with me. But, of course, I would not announce that he would be my running mate for the 2004 general election. I need him to counter Amien and other ambitious politicians. In realty, I will make Hamzah wait for my decision until the last minute. I think he also realizes that he cannot defeat me in the next presidential election. His only choice is to be nice to me.

And what about the media? Don't worry, the media bosses are just jealous of my fortune!