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