July 14, 2002 11:19 PM, 

Politics: Warning Signals for Megawati

Laksamana.Net - Politics continued to heat up last week as parties and politicians prepared for a long campaign before the 
2004 elections, with past President Abdurrahman Wahid weighing in with a meeting with the leader of the 32-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). 

Here, perceptions were most certainly more meaningful than the event itself. 

After the meeting Friday (12/7/02) in Malang, East Java, NU leader Hasyim Muzadi launched a stinging attack on political 
parties and politicians for squabbling with each other and for vying for the support of the military. 

“The military is the nation’s tool of defense but weak politicians allow themselves to be used instead by military,” thundered Hasyim. “This is why the security situation in the country can never be conducive.” 

Wahid sounded a similar tone: “I know the US is behind Megawati’s administration and the military as well, but I am not upset about it because the military is more fractured than the civilians.” 

This statement suggested that the spirit of Wahid-Muzadi meeting had nothing to do with the growing military influence over President Megawati Sukarnoputri, but was more related to the tendency of party politicians to develop tactical alliances and 
shifting coalitions. 

The statements aired by the two prominent NU figures came amid speculation that the nationalist conservative element within 
the ‘Struggle’ Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P) has turned the Bulog Scandal into a mechanism to highlight the internal 
dispute within PDI-P, and thereby attack Megawati in her roles as party chairwoman and president. 

Two events aggravated the internal tension in PDI-P. First, a senior member of PDI-P decided to resign from parliament 
following Megawati’s decision to reject the establishment of a special inquiry investigating the Rp40 billion scandal at the 
State Logistics Agency (Bulog). 

Second, PDI-P member Meilono Suwondo, who was in favor of the special enquiry, signaled his disobedience by forming a 
Communication Forum in Bogor together with Julius Usman and Mochtar Buchori. 

Some analysts worry about Suwondo’s close connection to dissatisfied and disgruntled generals. His brother Siswono Yudohusodo is an ardent Golkar cadre and former minister under Suharto. 

A source close to Abdurrahman Wahid told Laksamana.Net that if the nationalist camp within the PDI-P and other parties such 
as Golkar can manage to crystallize into an independent force against Megawati, they would possess the momentum for an unholy alliance between the conservative nationalists and the disgruntled generals. 


Wahid’s characteristic position as an opinion leader has led to suspicion that the Malang meeting is closely connected to 
this scenario. 

No doubt, the Wahid-Muzadi statements were a warning signal to Megawati. 

Suharto’s last Bastion 
Megawati is free from the taint of financial scandal. More importantly, the parliament has given her a green light to 
restructure the State Secretariat and cleanse it of Suharto remnants in the bureaucracy. 

Parliament’s verification team investigating the alleged misuse of Presidential Assistance Funds (Banpres) for upgrading 
military and police housing housing came from the Banpres under Presidential decree No. 01/BP/2002 of 25 February 2002. 

The verifacation team found there were irregularities in managing the Banpres funds by the incumbent State Secretary, Bambang 
Kesowo, and his predecessors. 

The verification team, led by Maj. Gen. Sembiring Meliala and PDI-P member Zulvan Z.B. Lindan strongly recommended that 
Megawati straighten up the position of State Secretary as well as the institution. 

The team did not mention Kesowo as the victim but its recommendation is sufficient for Megawati to sideline him. 

The pressure to depose Kesowo was strengthened by a comment from chairman of the PDI-P parliamentary leader, Roy B.B. Janis, who said he expected Megawati to replace Kesowo. “He performs still using the old mindset and style, and this will undermine the reputation of the president in the coming years.” 

PDI-P-Golkar Agreement 
A turning point took place last week within PDI-P as businessman Arifin Panigoro took charge of framing party direction towards a more realistic political stance. 

The party has now dropped its earlier stance regarding direct presidential election, by which the second round presidential 
and vice presidential poll should be conducted by the People’s Constituent Assembly (MPR). 

Both PDI-P and Golkar now agree that if no candidate wins outright, the positions should again be put to the people, with 
only the two leading candidates entitled to take part in the run-off. 

Megawati is thus seen not to be rejecting a direct poll for the presidency. It further paints party secretary general 
Sutjipto as a member of the conservative nationalist group. 

This indicates that high noon is nigh for a shape-off between Megawati and the conservative nationalists within PDI-P. 

Human Rights Criticism 
In other news, parliament selected 23 of 41 candidates for the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). It rejected sitting members, H.S. Dillon and leading noted human lights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, filling the institution with people who immediately attracted criticism that they would not stand up to the military. 

Critics said the selection ironically continued the emasculation of an agency which was strongest under Suharto and his 
successor B.J. Habibie. 

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