Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Two of the largest parties in the Indonesian Parliament, the ruling PDI-P and Golkar, are trying to dislodge Mr Amien Rais as the National Assembly Speaker next month in an apparent bid to thwart his presidential ambitions.
The move comes after recent polls showed that his popularity is rising and that he is perceived as the main challenger to President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the 2004 election.
Talk of a reshuffle in the National Assembly (MPR) leadership when it reconvenes next month has been in the air for the past two weeks. It could lead to the replacement of Mr Amien, who chairs the tiny National Mandate Party (PAN) in parliament.
A Golkar legislator told The Straits Times: "With PAN having only 7 per cent of the seats in the MPR, it is unfair that the highest legislative body is headed by Mr Amien. We want to see that changed." PAN holds 48 seats in the 700-member body.
The assembly's non-elected Regional Representative faction put up the reshuffle proposal last week and Golkar – the second-largest party in parliament – supported it.
Golkar has reason to be miffed with Mr Amien, who backed the establishment of a special parliamentary team to probe its party chief and parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tandjung for alleged corruption. But the proposal came to nought after other major parties rejected it.
A high-ranking Golkar official said of Mr Amien's political career: "We have to terminate it with extreme prejudice." Referring to a sense of betrayal felt by Golkar, political analyst Affan Gaffar told The Straits Times: "It is normal that Golkar should want to see him removed because they backed Mr Amien in 1999 despite his small party." Some legislators in Ms Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) also appeared to back the move.
Political analysts said this was because Mr Amien was seen as the leading figure behind a proposed constitutional amendment that would lead to the adoption of a direct presidential election system.
The PDI-P opposes the change despite its success in the 1999 general election, claiming Indonesians are not ready for it. The assembly is scheduled to decide on the amendment next month.
Mr Amien's support for a direct race is possibly based on his optimism that he could be the strongest contender.
Surveys have shown that his image has improved since last year when it took a beating because of his involvement in the impasse that led to the impeachment of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.
A survey by the International Foundation for Election Systems showed that the level of public satisfaction with Mr Amien's performance has doubled to 43 per cent from last year.
Although he still trails Ms Megawati (53 per cent) and Vice-President Hamzah Haz (51 per cent), many say he has the capacity and the opportunity to improve his standing.
PAN legislator Alvin Lie said: "We still have two years to improve, although we understand that incumbents usually have more privilege to win." Observers also said that Mr Amien had been working to shed his image as a right-wing Islamist, the result of his links with some hard-line politicians.
He has taken pains to present himself to the public as a modern politician, a pluralist and an ideal leader.
His personal website is updated constantly and he is the only major leader to have expressed willingness to take part in a presidential debate with other contenders.
Said a Jakarta-based political consultant: "The others realise that when it comes to free-for-all fight, they'll probably lose to Amien."