[ppi] [ppiindia] ST INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI

** Milis Nasional Indonesia ppi-india **
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,242480,00.html


ST INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI
Mega spells out stand for next term

Welfare plans and anti-terror fight are priorities, she says
By Laurel Teo

SHE may stand tall as the stern symbol of democratic struggle for a country
of 235 million, but when you meet her in person, President Megawati
Sukarnoputri is surprisingly girlish.

Her fair-complexioned face is still smooth at 57. Her hair - cropped just at
the neck - is lush and black.
She tittered with delight when presented with a gift of books on tulips,
cooking and Minangkabau culture. 'You really know me!' remarked the mother
of three, who is known for her love of gardening and her ability to whip up
a mean dish of nasi rawon (rice with beef soup), among other delicacies.
Her choice of domestic hobbies have had critics dismissing her as nothing
but a housewife, hoisted to power by a quirk of fate.
But during her 35-minute interview with The Straits Times yesterday at the
Istana, her political pedigree showed.
Clad in an elegant maroon kebaya top and a shimmery wraparound skirt, she
exuded confidence as she sat in her armchair, flanked by an imposing
portrait of herself to the right and one of her father Sukarno to the left.
The eldest daughter of Indonesia's founding father handled each question
that came her way and revealed a politician who had a clear grasp on what
she had achieved and where she wanted to go.
Asked about her successes, she went through a mental checklist: 'There is
now political stability and a greater deal of security in the
country...Economically, we have also done well. The rupiah has recovered a
lot of ground and stabilised, the stock exchange index does not fluctuate as
badly as it did before.'
At the same time, she admitted that 'I am not entirely satisfied with how we
have dealt with the terrorist problem, but we are working to make sure that
we are learning and improving'.
This being election time, she did not forget the avowed mission of her
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) either - to help the down
and out.
Her greatest pride in her three years as president is the welfare programme
that she has put in place. And her greatest wish is to see it through, she
said.
'It will be my main target when I am in power again for the next five years.
It is my priority.'
Her considered replies throughout the 35-minute session are in stark
contrast to what one might expect, given that she has a reputed aversion to
interviews, and in the rare event that she grants one, her answers are known
to be terse.
And for a woman who declares herself to be 'someone who is not patient', she
spoke in measured tones and rarely fidgeted, save to lean forward
attentively when listening to questions.p> She seemed in good humour and was
relaxed enough to even laugh at a few of her own comments, for instance,
when speaking about how she would 'grow old one day' and have to relinquish
leadership.
But she is not above having flashes of anger, and in fact, palace sources
revealed that one such incident happened just before The Straits Times spoke
to her.
In the earlier interview, she was reportedly riled by the question of how
she, as a woman, ruled a country such as Indonesia.
'Don't look at me as a woman. Look at what I've achieved,' she was said to
have snapped at the broadcast journalist.
Her gender was a sticking point with certain Muslim politicians when she
came to power.
But yesterday, she made clear that she was more than a housewife with a
fondness for flowers and cooking.
Her domestic agenda, too, included finding solutions to the problems for the
235 million people who call Indonesia home.



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Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg 
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.arsip.da.ru
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