U.S.-led war on Iraq improves Megawati's domestic image

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While disappointment with her leadership remains, President Megawati Soekarnoputri has received some credit, including from her rivals, for her firmness in rejecting the United States-led war in Iraq.

Megawati, who in January and February withstood a wave of rallies to demand her resignation, has shown her clear antiwar stance to U.S. President George W. Bush who called her last week, despite the risk of disrupting relations between the two countries.

"Megawati's firm stance against the war is correct and deserves support from people in the country," People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.

Amien, chairman of the National Mandate Party and Megawati's possible competitor for the presidency in 2004, joined the mounting criticism against Megawati for her government's decision to increase fuel prices as well as the telephone and electricity rates earlier this year.

In a telephone conversation with Bush on Thursday night, Megawati stood firm on her statement, calling the attack "an act of aggression." Bush called Megawati to ask for her understanding of the U.S. strike on Iraq.

"That was an excellent move. We should not let Washington dictate to us," Amien said.

Her other critic, Effendy Choiri from the National Awakening Party (PKB), also praised Megawati for her clear stance, but emphasized that she needed to follow up with more assertive action against the war.

"She could have created a better image as one of the world's leaders had she gone abroad to strengthen antiwar cooperation with other countries," Effendy told The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia, since the beginning of the crisis, has rejected any use of force to disarm Iraq and urged the United Nations to play the leading role in addressing the crisis.

Hours after the U.S. and its allies began bombing Iraq on Thursday, Megawati addressed the nation over the issue and despite the close relations with President Bush she refused to back down from her antiwar stance.

The government has assured the public that strongly deploring the U.S. move would not jeopardize the ties between Jakarta and Washington as it was a matter of principle and the U.S. is fully aware of that.

Jakarta's call for a UN Security Council emergency meeting to stop the war has positively been responded to by the international community. The meeting will be held in New York on Thursday.

Ahmad Syafii Maarif, chairman of Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim organization, also expressed his gratitude of Megawati's consistency in opposing the U.S. military action against Iraq and called on the nation to throw its support behind her.

"Her bravery in defying President Bush has demonstrated her consistency in upholding a principle. It's time for Indonesians to adhere to the same stance," he said in Bandung.

Political analyst Soedjati Djiwandono, however, believes that rejecting the war is the only option for Megawati, regarding the international and domestic circumstances.

"There is no other possible scenario for Megawati as the U.S. policy is clearly against the international law," Soedjati told the Post.

Soedjati admitted that it was important for Megawati, who leads the world's most populous Muslim country, to stand firm in facing the U.S. president, although it depends on "what she actually told Bush in the conversation."