Wolf in sheep's clothing

Wolf in sheep's clothing

In an interview in the Feb. 12 edition of Time magazine, the
People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais made a most
revealing statement. Question: "Do you think Megawati
Soekarnoputri is ready to take over?" Amien's answer: "So-so". As
Pak Amien was the founder of the axis force, that loose coalition
of Islamic parties, he must have spoken on their behalf.

I myself never believed that the axis force rejected Megawati
as president in 1999, only because she is a woman. The real
reasons were her perceived incompetence and the fact that she
represents a secular-nationalist party.

After Abdurrahman Wahid had become the democratically elected
president, the axis force presented him the bill: We made you
president, now it is payday. But the President instead fired
Hamzah Haz, chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) from
his cabinet, proposed trade relations with Israel and lifted the
ban on communism, and -- even worse -- he refused Amien's offer
to be the president's "secret" adviser.

Since then, the axis force has been doing everything within
its power to make Abdurrahman's life in office as miserable as
possible, at all costs and at all risks.

Let's assume the President resigns and -- with the support of
the axis force -- Megawati becomes his successor, wouldn't she
face the same fate as her predecessor if she would ignore the
"payday" too? Hamzah said recently: "If we decide that Megawati
is the president, we hope that she will not repeat the mistakes
made by Gus Dur who rejected the supporters who made him
president" (The Indonesian Observer, March 3).

Doesn't this sound like a threat? Assuming Megawati accepts
the axis force's offer, couldn't this make her their "hostage"?
The question is also whether all voters of PDI Perjuangan would
agree with Megawati's decision and whether they would be willing
to sacrifice their convictions and values in favor of Islamic-
oriented political parties.

The danger that the PDI Perjuangan splits cannot be excluded;
a development which would not only be welcomed by the axis force.

But the most important and most interesting question is: If
Megawati becomes president, who will become the vice president?
Probably a politician from the axis force, as the position of the
vice president will be one of their first requests.

Last November Amien said that he is ready to be vice president
if Megawati succeeds Gus Dur. The groups who are now busy to make
Gus Dur's life hell, would certainly not hesitate to bring
Megawati down as well. Her known weaknesses might make her an
easy target. Once Megawati is removed, the vice president would
become her successor. Thus the axis force would have achieved its
final purpose.

So Megawati should remember: If ambitious people come to us in
sheep's clothing, we often recognize the wolf too late.

Mrs. HILDE MAY

Jakarta