Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has come under fire for issuing a decree ordering members of her Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) to support controversial Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso's re-election. Those who defy her order could face severe sanctions from the party.
The move has outraged some party members and political analysts, who said her undemocratic, authoritarian leadership reminded them of the New Order regime of former president Suharto.
In the letter issued on Monday, Ms Megawati, who is the PDI-P chairman, instructed the party's executives and cadres to "secure, implement and fight for the re-election of Sutiyoso as the Jakarta governor".
Some PDI-P members in the Jakarta City Council, which will elect the new governor in September, have threatened to quit en masse if they are forced to comply with the directive. They had earlier decided to nominate their own cadres.
They said the directive was an intervention that violated the spirit of reform and resembled Mr Suharto's past practice of handpicking governors.
Legislator Sugondo tendered her resignation from Parliament to protest against the decision. She is the third PDI-P legislator to resign this year over the government's direction. Several PDI-P officials have complained of Ms Megawati's "one-woman-show".
They said she rarely attended party meetings, and only relied on the input of a handful of people within her inner circle, especially her powerful husband Taufik Kiemas.
Said PDI-P legislator Meilono Suwondo: "She would hold one-to-one meetings with certain people on certain issues, and the next thing we knew decisions were already made without us even knowing it."
But Ms Megawati's leadership is supported by the party's guidelines. In 1998, the party decided to give its chairman unlimited power to hasten the decision-making process ahead of the 1999 General Election. This and the fact that she "does not like to be criticised or challenged" had stirred resentment within the party.
As a result, Mr Meilono said many PDI-P legislators were no longer motivated to work. "What's the use of holding a meeting or making plans, if in the end what matters is the advice she got from the few people around her."
Political analyst Soedjati Djiwandono of the Ridep Institute warned that Ms Megawati's utter disregard for her party cadres' views and feelings could lead to her and the PDI-P's undoing.
He added: "The ties that used to bind the PDI-P and served as its rallying point was Megawati's image as a challenger and a victim of Suharto's political repression. I think this image will have faded by 2004, if her leadership is no different than his."
Tensions building in PDI-P THE decree has added fuel to tension within the PDI-P, after its much-criticised decision not to seek a parliamentary inquiry into alleged graft by Parliament Speaker Akbar Tandjung.
Many party members said the decision was made in exchange for support from Mr Akbar's Golkar party in next month's annual session of the National Assembly.