Support looms for Megawati's presidential bid
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Support trickled in yesterday for Megawati Soekarnoputri's bid for the presidency, including from an unexpected quarter.
An executive of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)'s North Sumatra branch, which is controlled by government-backed Soerjadi, called on the party to support her nomination.
Sahata Hutagalung, deputy chief of the North Sumatra branch, said he pledged support for Megawati and said the party leaders should discuss her bid in their meeting next month in Jakarta to discuss the party's nomination for president.
Sahata described Megawati as an asset to the party and said Soerjadi should join forces with her ahead of the March presidential election.
Sahata also suggested that Megawati formally present her bid to Soerjadi's executive board.
"For the sake of democracy, a political organization should nominate one of its own leaders for the presidential post," said Sahata.
Megawati was chairperson of PDI until she was forcefully removed in a government-engineered party congress which saw the return of Soerjadi in June 1996.
On Saturday, the daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, announced her intention to run for the presidency in the March election. She has since received support from two prominent Moslem leaders, Amien Rais, chairman of the 28 million-strong Muhammadiyah, and Abdurrahman Wahid, leader of the 30 million- strong Nahdlatul Ulama.
Two cabinet ministers said in Jakarta yesterday that they did not see anything wrong with Megawati's nomination, but added that her bid remained outside the election mechanism.
Minister of Defense and Security, Edi Sudradjat, and Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. said that it was every Indonesian citizen's right to participate in politics.
"Every citizen has the right to run for the presidency," Edi told reporters after a regular coordination meeting among cabinet ministers dealing with political affairs and security.
"It's acceptable for anyone to nominate oneself for the presidential post," said Yogie, who chaired the meeting.
But they said that to be formally nominated she had to go through the proper channels, through the People's Consultative Assembly which elects the president.
Each of the five factions in the Assembly will officially announce its presidential candidate on March 8 after seeking the candidate's acceptance. The presidential election will run in the next two days.
Meanwhile, a group of students and youths calling themselves the People's Democratic Alliance (Aldera) rallied at the House of Representatives in Jakarta yesterday in support of Megawati's bid for the presidency.
Wearing red headbands, the 30 youths displayed banners reading "Support Megawati, support reforms" while chanting modified patriotic songs.
It was the first public support for Megawati since she declared her bid over the weekend.
Scores of police officers were on alert, but there were no reported arrests and the group left the building peacefully.
In a statement read by its secretary-general, Pius Lustrilanang, the group said it believed that Megawati had the capability to lead the nation and to implement economic and political reforms.
"We need a new figure, because the present national leadership cannot push such reforms," Pius said.
The group demanded all the five factions in the People's Consultative Assembly not renominate President Soeharto for a seventh five-year term in March. Instead, they called for an alliance between Megawati, Amien and Abdurrahman. (21/imn/amd)