Tutut vows return of good day

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Six years ago, Amien Rais was one of the country's most prominent reformist figures involved in the national movement to force Soeharto to end his 32-year regime as the country was on the brink of economic collapse. On Sunday, he did not talk much about the progress of the stagnated reform movement, while Soeharto's daughter promised a return to "the good ol' days" under her father.

In his address to his supporters in his hometown of Yogyakarta, Amien, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) seemed to make a real effort not to make any new promises.

Amien, who is also speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), gave his personal guarantee that none of the party's candidates for the April 5 legislative election could be categorized as rotten.

A group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Saturday announced the list of DPR and DPD candidates, which they described as crooked politicians. PAN is not free from the list.

Amien is generally known as a clean politician and has often campaigned for the creation of good governance, free from corruption. However, Amien told the people to take the parties' bribe money if it was offered, but then vote for someone else to make sure the bribers did not get elected.

"Take their money but kick out their parties," he said, and received a warm applause from the crowds.

On the same day and same city, Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana, openly promised to continue her father's dream and run the country in the same way as was done during leadership, characterized by rapid economic development.

During her campaign speech in front of the Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) flags, Tutut said Soeharto wished that Indonesia could return to its golden era when people were prosperous and "justice belonged to all".

Tutut, who is probably the most likable of Soeharto's six children, is clearly aware that many people now talk about returning to the era of Soeharto, amid growing distrust of the reformists who most see as failures who have not delivered their promises made in the 1999 general elections.

"Pak Harto wishes that all Indonesian people can have a house, can send their children to school and can practice their religion peacefully," said Tutut, who hopes to be PKPB's candidate for the July 5 direct presidential election.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) got more defensive in its campaign as it tries to justify the actions or inaction of the party's leader and President Megawati Soekarnoputri in addressing the multiple problems in the country.

Reiterating similar warnings from other party campaigners over the possible come-back of Soeharto's close allies and system, Guruh Soekarnoputra said on Sunday in Jember, East Java, said the New Order regime (of Soeharto) was responsible for ruining the country's economy.

"New Order people now are 'guerrilla-like' in their methods of bribing people so they can lead the country again," said Guruh.

In Ambon, Maluku, Regional United Party (DPD) chairman Oesman Sapta said his party would struggle for the more substantial regional autonomy implementation for the regions.

"Regions must get the opportunity to carry out the regional autonomy," he said.

In Jakarta, some 1,000 supporters of the Freedom Bull Nationalist Party (PNBK) attended an indoor campaign at the Gymnasium building in East Jakarta.

Wearing shirts with the party's logo and pictures of the party's legislative candidates, the supporters looked on enthusiastically as they watched a dangdut performance.

Some of them, who were previously sitting in the balcony, jumped down to dance near the sensual female singer on stage.

Unlike other political parties, which have made many promises during the campaign, the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia) on Sunday organized its members to clean up their kampong to prevent dengue fever.

The social activity took place in several districts of Jakarta.

At least 1,000 supporters of the Democratic Party flocked to the Velodrome bicycle stadium in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, on Sunday to hear a campaign speech by several of the party's legislative candidates.

One of the candidates Ichzar Tandjung told the mostly uninterested crowd, who seemed to be there only for the dangdut music, that the party's ideology was religious nationalism.