Megawati Sukarnoputri: From president's daughter to vice president

Megawati Sukarnoputri, like Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma and Sheikh Hasina Waj ed of Bangladesh, is the daughter of a "founding father" of her country who has sought political power in order to redeem his legacy. Her ability to i nterpret this legacy flexibly (enabling her to adjust to changed circumstan ces) and to symbolize not only her father but, by her silent suffering at t he hands of the authoritarian government of President Suharto, purity and d ecency as well, largely explains her political success. She stood for Parli ament in 1987 and 1992 as a member of the Indonesian Democracy Party (PDI) and became leader of this party in 1993 despite government hostility toward her. Her failure in 1995 to repudiate a nomination for the presidency conc entrated the wrath of Suharto upon her. In June and July 1996, he engineere d her removal from the PDI leadership and was behind an attack on her party headquarters by government thugs in which at least five party members died . Suharto was obliged to resign from office in May 1998, and a parliamentar y election was held in June 1999. Megawati's party obtained the largest pro portion of the vote: 34 percent, followed by Golkar with 22 percent, and th e National Awakening Party of her almost-blind friend, Abdurrahman Wahid wi th 12 percent. However, her silences, which had been so eloquent in the Suh arto period when it was dangerous to speak our, became a distinct political liability in Indonesia's emerging talk shop of democracy. Consequently, sh e was unable to convert her strong parliamentary result into a successful p residential bid, and was out-maneuvered for the top office by Wahid himself showing a scant regard for his erstwhile democratic principles. Rioting by Megawati's supporters convinced him of the wisdom of having her as his dep uty. Consequently, he worked hard (and successfully) to secure her victory in the vice-presidential ballot. "We make a perfect team," he commented lat er. "I can't see and she can't talk".