PDI-P counting on Megawati in '09 presidential election

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 09/17/2007 2:46 PM

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) concluded its recent meeting with a unanimous decision to nominate chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri as its presidential candidate in the 2009 presidential election. Tjahjo Kumolo, PDI-P's deputy chairman of political affairs and chairman of the party's faction at the House of Representatives, discussed the issue with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan Max Sijabat recently.

Question: The presidential election is still two years away. Why has PDI-P already announced its presidential candidate?

Answer: The early nomination of Megawati is part of the party's strategy to win the 2009 presidential election and reinstate its stance as an opposition party. We will promote Megawati as well as her possible cabinet and the political programs she will carry out if she wins.

Her running mate could be nominated from either within or outside the PDI-P, including from other political parties, mass organizations or the Indonesian Military, depending on our performance in the legislative election.

We will announce immediately a cabinet line-up and professional and experienced figures who fill portfolio posts.

Most importantly, Megawati and the party will design and introduce her presidential programs, including a pro-people and counter-state budget, and will address major national problems, particularly poverty and unemployment, and improve the people's economy.

Lastly, as an opposition bloc, we will be more critical of the government and its policies.

Aren't you afraid of making Megawati a cult figure by renominating her for the presidency?

No, I don't think so. From our congress in Bali last January onwards, our grassroots supporters have consistently and unanimously demanded Megawati's nomination.

During the Bali congress, Ibu Mega fairly offered other party leaders the chance to take over from her, but the majority of the party's members reelected her to lead for another five-year term. As a number of internal surveys have revealed, the majority of PDI-P members and supporters remain loyal to Megawati's leadership.

We have to accept the reality that the party has no other figures who can match the caliber of Megawati.

Her nomination is a chance for the party to keep its 12 million supporters loyal and to campaign for her programs.

Aside from the fact she is a daughter of the country's founding president Sukarno, Megawati has strong leadership skills, which were proven during her term as party chair during the last two consecutive periods and as the president.

In fact, Megawati is a uniting figure in PDI-P. Her leadership has proven effective in building the party as a home to nationalists from different ethnic groups, religions and socio-economic classes.

How do you see the political landscape for the next presidential election?

We have considered various scenarios, which do not rule out the possibility of other parties being victorious in the legislative election.

PDI-P will nominate its own presidential and vice presidential candidates if it wins the majority vote, but will be happy with a running mate from an ally party if we don't win. We are prepared to form a coalition in the cabinet, with the main goals of ensuring a harmonious relationship between the president and the vice president and forming an effective government. This is what the recent meeting's recommendations were.

Other scenarios take into account the Democrat Party nominating the incumbent President, Jusuf Kalla being nominated by Golkar, Wiranto by his Hanura Party and the return of Akbar Tandjung with Barindo, Hidayat Nur Wahid, Constitutional Court President Jimly Asshidiqie and several other newcomers.

Do you see any possibility of PDI-P joining forces with Golkar?

In principle, we are open to forming a coalition with other parties. PDI-P and Golkar, two nationalist parties, have enhanced friendship and cooperation, share common views and both address problems the nation is facing. We have held two meetings in Medan and Palembang to bring our parties closer and to reach a common understanding on various issues. This is a good starting point to form a future coalition.

What makes today's Megawati different from Megawati in the past?

Megawati has learnt a lot from past experiences about how to uphold national sovereignty and dignity, address problems plaguing the nation and improve the welfare of the people. We still have two more years to sell Megawati as our presidential candidate and sell her programs in order to win a further 15 to 20 million votes in addition to the 45 million supporters we are maintaining.

The growing popularity of PDI-P, as shown by recent surveys, has made us believe we can win these votes in the 2009 legislative election.

We have approached other major parties for support ... which is an important part of creating a strong government with solid political backing.

We should learn from the experience of the current government, which is supported only by a minority party in the parliament. If we secure the support required, only a few parties will contest the 2014 general election, which is good for democracy.

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