Support for Megawati renewed

Support for Megawati renewed

JAKARTA (JP): As the arrival of President Abdurrahman Wahid
draws nearer, leaders of two prominent Muslim organizations
renewed on Tuesday their choice for Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri to assume power as a last-ditch effort to solve the
myriad of crises facing the country.

Deputy chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim
group, Din Syamsuddin and chairman of the United Development
Party (PPP), Hamzah Haz were united in claiming that the two
organizations would not reject a woman president as long as it
didn't violate the constitutional process.

"Muhammadiyah has never issued any statement saying that women
are not allowed to hold the presidency. I think we will maintain
this stance for now and in the future," Din said.

Din and several Muhammadiyah top executives held a meeting
with House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung at the House
on Tuesday to share their concerns about the country's current
situation.

"We can see that our country is clearly heading for ruin, so
we need to find a quick solution to save it. The efforts to
achieve that goal are open to political leaders, though not us
because we aren't members of a political organization," Din said.

"We urge Megawati to do something because she has the
competence as both the Vice President and chairwoman of the
largest political party in the country."

Top leaders of Muhammadiyah met with Megawati last week.

The snowballing support for Megawati contradicted the fact
that Islamic-based political parties and many Muslim
organizations, bar the largest one Nadhatul Ulama (NU), chanted a
unison of rejection for a woman president in the presidential
election over 17 months back.

The honeymoon between Abdurrahman and the then anti-Megawati
alliance proved shortlived and appeared to have turned into an
unreconciled relationship.

A near unanimous decision by the House to censure the
President issued on Feb. 1 for his alleged role in two financial
scandals has fueled the mood to show him the door.

Separately, PPP chairman Hamzah claimed that the party has
never explicitly rejected a woman president.

He said the party's choice of Megawati to take the lead showed
its support for the constitution.

The constitution stipulates that if the President cannot
complete his or her term, the Vice President should take over.

"If the change of guard is conducted in line with the
constitution, then we have to accept the people's choice," Hamzah
said.

He recollected that PPP in a meeting in April 1999, prior to
the general election, decided to elect the country's "best son"
for presidency, but he said the term was not specifically against
a woman president.

"Megawati was elected the Vice President through a democratic
process, so we will accept her should Gus Dur resign
constitutionally," Hamzah said, referring to Abdurrahman by his
nickname.

Leading figures of PAN, the United Development Party (PPP), the
Justice Party (PK), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), Golkar Party
and the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
met on Friday to show their support for Megawati as the immediate
successor to Abdurrahman.

While it is not known if any political agreement was reached,
the meeting was the first clear public display of a possible
political alliance to propel Megawati to presidency.

The National Awakening Party's continuing strong support of
Abdurrahman has prompted several observers to be cautious in
their assessment of Friday's meeting, warning that it may just be
a fleeting coalescence to court Megawati for the parties'
respective short-term gains.

Hamzah contended on Tuesday that this political move was
simply aimed at showing concern over the unsolved crises facing
the country.

"There is no political consensus, our intention is to express
our responsibility as political parties because it will be
impossible for the government to work effectively without support
from the House," he remarked.

Meanwhile, City military and police leaders met on Tuesday to
discuss precautionary measures ahead of Abdurrahman's arrival
from Saudi Arabia at about Wednesday midnight following reports
of a huge rally welcoming the President.

City Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said after the
four-hour meeting there would be no special security arrangements
in response to the possible rally.

"We will keep the usual 9,000 security personnel intact. Only
if the situation worsens will we upgrade troops to 18,000. In a
state of emergency, there will be up to 40,000 personnel
deployed," Mulyono said. (dja/ylt)