Vice President Megawati's silence speaks volumes

By Fabiola Desy Unidjaja

JAKARTA (JP): Although almost every conceivable politician has already commented on President Abdurrahman Wahid's proposal for a transfer of power to the Vice President, Megawati Soekarnoputri remained her usual silent self on what she wanted, while the country lumbered onward in a state of political flux.

In the three days since Abdurrahman put the offer on the table, only her official aides and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) officials have gone public, resulting in debate over her uncommitted position, as the nation anxiously awaits the unfolding of the next chapter.

Megawati has also remained silent as Abdurrahman threatens to push the country further to the brink by imposing a state of emergency.

Her official secretary has said that she wanted better clarification of the transfer of power proposal, while top PDI Perjuangan executives have stressed that they would only recognize a "constitutional process", which has led some to interpret it as a possible special session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

But many may be getting impatient, not least Abdurrahman.

Even House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung urged Megawati on Saturday to go public on what she wanted so the people could judge the situation for themselves.

Megawati's aides and associates have defended her silence, contending that she was just being careful, as she needed a guarantee that the power given would not be taken away.

Political observer Cornelis Lay, who is known as a vice presidential aide, said it all came down to a matter of trust in Abdurrahman, who had a track record of going back on his own word.

Cornelis chiefly highlighted the experience following the Assembly annual session in August last year in which the President, under strong political pressure, agreed to delegate the day-to-day running of government, which was then stipulated through a presidential decree.

However, the supposed delegation of power, according to many, has effectively been nil.

"Back then, Ibu Megawati honestly accepted the offer, but still it did not solve the problem. So she stressed that the current offer should be a solution instead of another problem," Cornelis remarked.

"She has repeatedly heard nice words from the President which turn out to be untrue. These are psychological aspects that people should be aware of. She's trying to be more careful in dealing with the current offer," Cornelis told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He further said that Megawati was carefully weighing the offer as she did not want this proposal to create more problems.

"She has to be very careful because the term 'delegation of power' will create further prolonged legal and constitutional debate ... So there should be a clear and legal mechanism on how to do it," Cornelis said.

He pointed out that Megawati evidently wished to pursue a constitutional path through the memorandum process against the President, and the sudden offer of a delegation of power had interrupted that process.

"That's why she has to carefully study the offer. I think it would have been impossible for the people to have expected a fast decision as soon as the proposal had been offered by the President," Cornelis remarked.

"The thoughtful consideration may cause us to lose patience, but this is the process that we should go through, to create a strong state system," Cornelis added.

But things may boil over in the next few days as the House is due to meet on Wednesday to determine whether to call for a special session of the Assembly.

The special session, expected about two months later, could lead to Abdurrahman's downfall, leaving Megawati with the presidency.

Separately, PDI Perjuangan Deputy Secretary-General Pramono Anung hinted further at the importance of a special session to cement any power transfer, whether through a political deal or impeachment. He said that a delegation of power would need to be enshrined by the country's highest law-making body and not merely by a presidential decree.

"Delegating executive power from the president to the vice president cannot be effected by means of a presidential decree. Such a delegation of power should be decided by the Assembly as the highest state agency," Pramono told the Post on Sunday.

Pramono brushed aside fears that any power given could be taken back, due to the perceived reticence of the Vice President. Instead he said there was a need to clarify further the "substance, scope and material", in order for it not to become another focus of controversy in the future.

"There is a constitutional hierarchy, where it is the right of the Assembly to assign the vice president as the head of government," Pramono remarked.