[Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri was once seen as the great hope for Indonesian democracy. Now, on the first anniversary of her presidency, Megawati's critics have accused her of cosying up to the military. Indeed, she's received a less than flattering report card, with a poll by the popular Kompas newspaper registering over 70-percent of respondents dissatisfied with Megawati's performance in her first year – mainly her failure to check corruption and enforce the rule of law.]

Transcript:

Parengkuan: Unemployment is not solved yet and even more people have lost their jobs simply because the country has become so unstable for foreign investors due to anti-terrorism statements and that makes many foreigners leave this country. And that really makes an impact to our economy, and secondly the problem in Aceh Aceh is very much in the focus.

Lam: On the issue of Aceh, there is a feeling amongst some quarters that President Megawati is giving the military a much greater influence now in Aceh and that the armed forces have even been revived as a political force. Is that a common feeling in Indonesia?

Parengkuan: Yes, most Acehenese reject the idea of having a greater military operation. But this is actually divided in the Indonesian public. Some really think that they have to have this military power to overcome the problem in Aceh. But yes, the military I think is being entertained by the President, there is a good relationship. And the public is also divided, you have some who are anti-military, pro-democracy saying that we cannot believe the military because sooner or later they will come again to power and we'll just be repeating the Suharto period. But some others say, that we need the military because this country is so unstable. We don't have security and as you see there are more crimes due to unemployment, but really crimes with guns, that makes certain people in society scared and then people start talking, well we have to give more power to the military and to the police.

Lam: And yet it was the military under President Suharto that forced her to form an offshoot of the PDI, PDI Perjuangan. So are Megawati supporters disappointed with her cosy relationship with the military now?

Parengkuan: In many ways it is a compromise with the military. She knows that to stabilise the country she really depends on the military. She realises that the police do not have enough manpower and they are not trained to create a stabilised country. And sometimes we see the parliament doing its executive job with many people criticising it. Some conglomerates are already being questioned, being summoned to the Attorney General, but so far no one has been taken to the court.

Lam: And so some people think that President Megawati in her own quiet way is trying to fight corruption?

Parengkuan: Yes and people believe that she herself is "clean".

Lam: What has President Megawati got right in the first 12 months?

Parengkuan: She doesn't talk too much, silence is golden. She hasn't made any controversial statements, people also see that the country in general is quite stable, the rupiah is getting stronger. There are around 9,000 rupiah per US dollar or below that and when she came to power, it was over 10,000 rupiah. Only some of her policies have divided the party, that's what many are afraid of, like the candidacy of Sutiyoso as the governor of Jakarta, that really divided the party.

Lam: And that was a very unpopular decision?

Parengkuan: Exactly, exactly.