Nation celebrates Sukarno's birthday

Nation celebrates Sukarno's birthday

JAKARTA (JP): What started as a day of sentimental
remembrance became one full of political nuances as the nation
commemorated on Wednesday the one hundredth anniversary of the
birth of the state's founding father, Sukarno.

The apex of the commemorations was a ceremony at the Gelora
Bung Karno Sports Center, the name of which was only recently
reinstated after having been changed to the Senayan Sports
Complex.

The commemorations have again put Sukarno in the forefront of
Indonesian history after his becoming a much maligned figure
during the years of his successor, former President Soeharto.

The resurgence of Sukarno's popularity has come at the same
time as the coming of his daughter, Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, to the political fore.

Wednesday's ceremonies came less than eight weeks before a
special session of the People's Consultative Assembly which looks
likely to result in Megawati following in her father's footsteps
as president.

The political baggage weighed further on Wednesday as the
leading figures in the ongoing political drama -- President
Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung -- sat on the
same stage for the first time in months.

Despite the bitter political rivalry, they were all smiles
while posing for photographers.

Unfortunately, a thunderstorm somewhat marred the festive
occasion which was marked by speeches and traditional dances.

While the attendance was relative good, the huge main stadium
which seats 100,000 made the audience of 10,000 look like a poor
turnout.

It was Sukarno in the early 1960s who initiated the
construction of the sports complex.

Born in Blitar on June 6, 1901, Sukarno was Indonesia's
president from its independence in 1945 until he was forced out
of office and replaced by Soeharto in 1967. Sukarno died under
house arrest on June 21, 1970.

Presidents

Many of the 10,000 in attendance wore red and black outfits
and carried the symbols of Sukarno's party, the Indonesian
Nationalist Party (PNI). A giant poster of the young Sukarno was
given center stage.

Among the crowd, pamphlets condemning Soeharto and his New
Order administration were much in evidence.

Apart from Sukarno, former and current presidents were not the
flavor of the day among the crowd.

The audience loudly jeered as Abdurrahman came onto the stage.

In contrast, there was wild applause as Megawati waved at
them. She looked very cheerful and comfortable sitting between
Abdurrahman and Amien.

In his speech, the President underlined that Sukarno belonged
to the nation and should be respected for his key role in
creating an independent Indonesia.

"The existence of Indonesia, our great nation, was the fruit
of his struggle," said Abdurrahman, whose father Wahid Hasyim
once served as Sukarno's minister of religious affairs.

"We must let Bung Karno live in our hearts and make him our
model in life," Abdurrahman said.

Chairman of the celebration's organizing committee Dahlan
Ranuwiharjo called in his address for the government to declare
Sukarno's birthday a national holiday.

Dahlan noted that despite the New Order's attempts to sully
the Sukarno name, his great image prevailed.

Other centennial events on Wednesday included the issuance of
a commemorative set of stamps, telephone cards and a special
coin.

Similar commemorations were held in other cities such as
Yogyakarta, where the Yogyakarta Marhaen (peasants and workers)
Family (KBM) opened a five-day exhibition titled "The Nuances of
Bung Karno" in which artifacts related to Sukarno are being
displayed.

Meanwhile on Wednesday evening, private television station TPI
aired a rare interview with Megawati in which she spoke off-the-
cuff about her father.

During the lighthearted discussion with talk show host Jaya
Suprana, the Vice President reminisced about her father whom she
fondly described as very intelligent, handsome and elegant.

"Bapak was stubborn. And I may have inherited his character,"
Megawati said laughingly.

She defended her father's colorful love life saying many
people misunderstood him. But she also lamented Sukarno marrying
several times and his divorcing of her mother Fatmawati,
Sukarno's third wife.

Recounting a trip to the White House with her father to meet
the late President John F. Kennedy, Megawati recounted her first
impression: "Kennedy was very handsome." (dja/44/prb)