PDI-P campaign again to rely on Megawati's fame

PDI-P campaign again to rely on Megawati's fame

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The well-established Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI-P) is still relying on the strength of Megawati's name to
get as many votes as possible to win the upcoming legislative and
presidential elections.

Citing the low level of education and awareness of democracy
among most Indonesian people, party figures said exploiting
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's name could still guarantee an
election victory.

Presenting party vision and mission to The Jakarta Post here
on Monday, PDI-P Secretary-General Soetjipto said: "We just need
to show her (Megawati) picture, that will be enough and most
people are still taken by big names like hers."

Whether we like it or not, he said, most Indonesians still
voted for a candidate due to sentimental reasons rather than
rational considerations.

The good economic indicators under Megawati's administration
were an additional factor that strengthened the people's
confidence in Megawati, he added.

"A professor or a man in a kampong, will have the same vote in
the elections and campaigning in the campus or on the street is
really no different," Soetjipto said.

Megawati, who also chairs PDI-P is the eldest daughter of the
country's founding president Sukarno who was respected as a
charismatic leader and had loyal supporters during his tenure.
She emerged in politics in 1990s when the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI), established in 1973, was divided into two camps with
the one which was later named PDI-P led by Megawati.

Under the leadership of Megawati, known to be close to the
poor and oppressed, PDI-P won 33.8 percent of votes in the 1999
legislative election and Megawati gained the country's second top
position in the presidential election. In July, 2001, she was
elected president to replace Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

During her presidency and party leadership, Megawati, fully
supported by her party, has made several unpopular policies
including on Aceh and gubernatorial elections in Lampung, Jakarta
and Central Java, causing divisions in the party.

Megawati for example imposed martial law in war-torn Aceh and
has yet to exert maximum efforts to solve conflicts in other
regions.

Despite its decreasing popularity, party figures believe that
Megawati and her party still have loyalist groups in society.

"There are between around 12 million to 15 million people of
our traditional constituencies, and we are working hard to win
support from new eligible voters," Deputy Secretary-General
Pramono Anung said.

He said PDI-P had listed well-educated legislative candidates
to contend the legislative elections on April 5.

"We suffered from internal conflict because of the policy to
get more qualified people as most of the party's long-time
members are not educated," Pramono added.

Soetjipto said that PDI-P was committed to improving the
quality of legislators by nominating candidates with a good
educational background in its attempt to improve the quality of
the legislatures in the future.

He said PDI-P was still waiting for two more future elections
to perform as a modern party and be ready to contend legislative
elections under the district system.