Support for Megawati

Support for Megawati

Support for Megawati Soekarnoputri as the legitimate successor
to the President, should the position become vacant, has been
snowballing in the last few days. An agreement involving leading
representatives of six political parties was reached on March 2
in Jakarta. This is an important development and promises a
smooth take-over. Earlier, there were voices which suggested the
selection of a "dark horse."

However there still remains a very important factor to be
agreed on. That is the work program of a Megawati administration,
which logically would take the form of a coalition.

The weakest point of the Abdurrahman Wahid government was that
it begun with a coalition, but without an agreed policy among the
partners involved.

Gus Dur himself gave some general ideas on what to do, but
left it to respective ministers, most of them inexperienced, to
carry out their assignments through trial and error.

To avoid similar confusion Megawati should delegate to her
trusted aides the task of negotiating with representatives of the
five other parties to draw up an complete policy acceptable to
all supporters.

The program must place priority on an emergency plan designed
to crack down on corruption and to restore domestic and
international respect.

The new administration must be given sufficient time, but a
sense of a "mega-crisis" must prevail. Without stamping out
corruption, no economic policy, however good, would produce the
desired results.

Megawati should be given a free hand to select the right man
for the right job, keeping in mind that she is the coordinator of
a coalition anxious to proceed with the long awaited reforms.

I think she does not need much advice. The last 17 months have
been enough of a schooling for her to know what to do and what to
avoid.

But I do think she must learn from former U.S. president
Ronald Reagan, who was dubbed "the great communicator." She has
been seen as the leader who does not like to talk, and now must
communicate a lot with the people and those of other political
parties.

H. ARIFIN BEY

Tangerang, West Java