PDI Perjuangan meeting fails to choose running mate for Megawati
PDI Perjuangan meeting fails to choose running mate for Megawati
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta
The national meeting of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) ended on a low note on Thursday as
party executives left chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri to choose
her own running mate for the 2004 presidential election.
Although the meeting failed to announce any names, it
recommended the criteria for selecting vice presidential
candidates, a practice which always preceded the presidential
election during the past regime of former president Soeharto.
PDI Perjuangan requires that candidates for Megawati's running
mate support the integrity and plurality of the country and be
committed to the eradication of corruption, collusion and
nepotism.
In her opening remarks on Monday, Megawati encouraged party
members at the grassroots level to select her running mate.
Four names were mentioned during the national meeting as
possible choices for the party's vice presidential candidate:
Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi, incumbent Vice President
Hamzah Haz, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Coordinating Minister for
Peoples' Welfare Jusuf Kalla, who is also a Golkar executive.
PDI Perjuangan's failure to settle on a running mate for its
presidential candidate, Megawati, further indicated the party's
unreadiness to contest the first ever direct presidential
election. Party executives are expecting the vice presidential
candidate, who is almost certain to come from outside the party,
to boost Megawati's chances at winning the presidency.
To make matters worse, the party's secretary-general,
Soetjipto, said it was too early to disclose which party PDI
Perjuangan would coalesce with to win the presidential election.
"We will decide the coalition when the time is right as we
need to find a suitable partner for Megawati in order to win the
election," Soetjipto said during a news conference after the
closing ceremony.
Many doubt that the largest party could notch up a second
straight win in the general election, due to its fragmentation
and Megawati's withering popularity. PDI Perjuangan won almost 35
percent of the vote in the 1999 election.
The decision to provide impunity for corruptors in the
Indonesian bank liquidity assistance cases, the reelection of
Sutiyoso as Jakarta's Governor and efforts to prevent political
moves against Akbar Tandjung, the Golkar party chairman who was
sentenced to three years in jail for graft, have sparked
widespread public distrust in Megawati.
Disappointment with Megawati has also led PDI Perjuangan
members to challenge her policies or quit the party and form
their own.
Political observers, meanwhile, said that overtures being made
by political parties to ex-military leaders to become running
mates in the presidential and vice presidential elections could
hamper the development of democracy and civil supremacy in this
country.
Bambang Widjojanto from the Center of Electoral Reform (Cetro)
and Ifdal Kasim from the Institute for Policy Research and
Advocacy (ELSAM) noted that the move by political parties to
nominate retired generals indicated that civilian politicians
were considered inferior to run the country.
Among the ex-military leaders mentioned by some political
parties are Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Transportation
Agum Gumelar, State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief A.M.
Hendropriyono and former Indonesian Military commander Wiranto.
"If this trend continues, it will stunt the political maturity
of civilian leaders," Bambang told The Jakarta Post here on
Thursday.
Ifdal emphasized that Susilo, Agum, Hendropriyono and Wiranto
grew up with military tradition. "Their mind-set is one of
authoritarianism and it is difficult to change that," Ifdal said.
Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung has also mentioned Susilo,
Wiranto and Agum Gumelar as potential nominees.
Political analyst Rizal Malarangeng said it would be hard for
political parties to nominate their own members to contest the
presidential election.
Coalitions will be needed, Rizal said, because only a
coalition government could help create a stronger executive
branch.