Nomination of Megawati sparks debate
Nomination of Megawati sparks debate
JAKARTA (JP): The proposed nomination of Megawati Soekarnoputri, chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), to run for the 1998 presidential election won sympathy from politicians but was opposed by one of her foes yesterday.
Her sympathizers noted that PDI supporters are showing political courage, something which is somewhat unusual in Indonesia where politics is tightly controlled by the government.
They were responding to PDI activists' calls for the party's executive board to nominate Megawati in the 1998 presidential race.
A.A. Oka Mahendra, a politician from the Golkar ruling party, and H.M. Mansyur from the United Development Party (PPP) said the nomination was a courageous maneuver to develop democracy in this country.
"It's an interesting development," Oka said. "The open support for her should serve as input for the People's Consultative Assembly on whoever the people want to have in the future," he said.
Mansyur said the PDI activists' move earns them respect because it adds color to the ongoing democratization process. "They know she is no match for President Soeharto," he told journalists.
The 74-year-old incumbent has not stated whether he will run for the 1998 presidential election, although he has drawn strong backing from numerous organizations under Golkar.
At least three members of the House of Representatives from the PDI faction have joined the petition to call for the nomination of Megawati, the daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno. Megawati turned 49 years old on Tuesday.
Opposition to the maneuver of Megawati's supporters came yesterday from senior PDI politician Budi Hardjono, who lost to her in the 1993 party election despite having the government's backing.
"They (Megawati's supporters) have, in the first place, to convene a congress and drop the party's pledge of support for the New Order government under President Soeharto," he said.
In its four-point political stand made in 1993, the PDI also pledged to support the Armed Forces' dual role in both politics and defense.
"Those who insist on nominating Megawati without bothering to consider the party's political stand do not deserve PDI membership," he said.
Political observer Darmanto Jatman said the nomination signifies PDI supporters' empathy for Megawati whose two-year-old leadership of PDI has been endlessly frustrated by internal bickering and by external forces.
"People see her tough stance in facing all the problems and they think she has the qualifications to become the future president," he noted.
"But in fact they know only too well she has no chance of clinching the presidential post. The existing political system does not allow for her rise to presidency," he added.
Nurdien H.K., a political observer from the Diponegoro University in Semarang, said he agreed that there should be more than one presidential candidate in 1998.
"Megawati's nomination is good from that point of view. To have more than one candidate is a good way to help create democracy," he said.
But at present, he said, it is near to impossible for any candidate to beat Soeharto if he runs for a seventh term in 1998.
"He is unbeatable at the moment. He has no strong contender yet," he said.
Under the Indonesian system, a president is elected by the 1,000 People's Consultative Assembly, which convenes once every five years. The assembly is currently dominated by Golkar.
If the assembly does accept Megawati as an alternative candidate, it would be the first in the nation's 50 year history that there was more than one presidential nominee.
Saleh Khalid M.M., the chairman of the Indonesian Younger Generation for Development, a youth organization affiliated to the Moslem-based PPP, said Megawati should ask herself if she has the capacity to become the president of the republic.
"Does she meet the requirements stated by the Constitution? Can she secure support from all factions in the Assembly?" he asked.
Saleh said he is of the opinion that the future president should be elected by consensus of all factions, not by a vote as the PDI is proposing. (pan/har)