Support for Megawati 'against' establishment

Support for Megawati 'against' establishment

JAKARTA (JP): The call for Megawati Soekarnoputri, the
chairwoman of the minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), to
run for president in 1998 is a symbol of her support in Central
Java and a sign of growing rejection of the establishment, a
political observer says.

Afan Ghaffar of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University said
yesterday that the popularity of Megawati is also an
"interesting" reflection of the growth of civil society in
Indonesia.

"It symbolizes resistance against the establishment. There's
nothing more beyond that," Afan said in a telephone interview
with The Jakarta Post.

Leaders of seven PDI branches in Central Java this week issued
a statement calling on Megawati, who is also the daughter of
former president Sukarno, to run for the upcoming presidential
election.

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will elect a new
president in 1988. The 74-year-old Soeharto will conclude his
sixth term of office in two years.

The nomination of Megawati has taken many observers by
surprise. If Megawati steps into the ring, she will be the first
to challenge President Soeharto, whose reelection is practically
a given if he decides to run.

Leaders of the party's branch offices said that Megawati, who
was elected PDI chief by a popular vote in 1993 despite the
government's attempt to block her, has the qualifications that a
future Indonesian president should have, such as modesty, honesty
and integrity.

Afan pointed out that everyone, including PDI members, know
very well that Megawati's chances to win the election are "almost
zero."

"But it (the nomination) is all right. It shows that people
are no longer afraid to spell out what they believe in," he said.

According to Afan, who is also a lecturer at the Islamic
University of Yogyakarta, Megawati has no qualifications for
presidency.

"People sympathize with her because her leadership is
undermined everywhere," he said, referring to formation of a
rival board by her political foe Yusuf Merukh and the East Java
government's rejection of PDI chapter chief Sutjipto, whom she
appointed last year.

In Central Java, Afan said, the nationalist-Christian alliance
will have a hard time maintaining its vote in the 1997 elections
because the provincial government is preparing to ensure a ruling
Golkar party victory.

"The governor's campaign to have people paint everything
yellow (the color of Golkar) shows that the government is
resolute in winning the election at any cost and by all means,"
he said.

Afan also predicted that Megawati's foes will intensify their
fight to dethrone her prior to the 1997 elections. "And this
could badly affect the PDI's performance," he said.

Separately, legislator Aberson Marle Sihaloho, known as one of
Megawati's ardent supporters, said he expects more PDI branches
in other provinces to follow suit.

"Their proposal was genuine, free from any political
engineering," the outspoken legislator from the Central Java
constituency said.

He said her nomination by the seven party branches was in line
with her principle that every leader should be elected directly
by the people, not by organizations through some kind of
manipulation.

Aberson said the PDI will work to change the presidential
electoral system in the future to "one person, one vote" as the
constitution requires.

Currently, the president is elected by consensus of the
various factions in the MPR. (pan)