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