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Promoted Puan Coy on Election Plans
Anita Rachman & Ezra Sihite | January 25, 2012

Puan Maharani was on Tuesday made chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle in the House of Representatives. Antara Photo Puan Maharani was on Tuesday made chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle in the House of Representatives. Antara Photo
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padt
1:40pm Jan 25, 2012

Its surreal and sad to see the lack of political integrity and lack of common sense in this country when family dynasties are accepted as legitimate political realities.

This is supposed to be a democracy - not a dynastic kingdom.

All I can do is sigh and comment, in this case, as one might in another being put in place across town: "Mommy's/Daddy's baby girl/boy enjoying nice new jobby wobby?"

Because that's what it amounts to.

And as for taking up grandad's and mum's mantle?

Is that anything to be aimed for?

These people are woefully out of touch and surrounded by bad advisers.


Serigala-Berbulu-Domba
12:57pm Jan 25, 2012

One can but wonder what skillsets Puan would bring to the table as a potential presidential candidate, given her background and the example set by her mother when she was President.


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The daughter of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri has been promoted to chair the main opposition party’s bloc in the House of Representatives, but she denied the move was part of efforts to groom her for a possible presidential run.

The decision for Puan Maharani to replace Tjahjo Kumolo as the head of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the House was made on Jan. 13 but only announced on Tuesday.

“This is just a routine rotation and Tjahjo and I will share duties,” Puan said.

She added that the party’s decision to raise her profile did not mean she was preparing to run as the PDI-P’s presidential or vice presidential candidate in the 2014 election.

“The question of the party’s candidates is, as we’ve decided before, up to the chairwoman [Megawati] to decide,” she said.

“That issue won’t be debated because we’ve already given her that authority.”

The PDI-P’s official explanation for the move was that Tjahjo, who is also the party’s secretary general, is being asked to focus more on party affairs than House matters.

The PDI-P’s Pramono Anung, who is deputy speaker of the House, also said the promotion had “nothing to do with the 2014 elections.”

He said it was based on Puan’s performance to date as a legislator, pointing out that prior to the promotion she had also served as deputy chairwoman of the bloc.

The PDI-P is widely considered to be priming Puan for a run at the presidency.

In October, Taufik Kiemas, Puan’s father and Megawati’s husband, said he believed his wife, now 65, would be too old to run in 2014 and suggested she make way for a younger candidate.

Although he declined to say if Puan, 38, was who he had in mind, she responded at the time by saying she was prepared to take up the mantle, “especially if it is mandated by the party.”

“My grandfather was president, my mother was also president, and hopefully in 2014 we can win,” she said.

Although Megawati has not stated whether she will run again, top PDI-P officials have hinted she will likely not contest the presidency again.

There was also speculation last year she had secretly met with former Vice President Jusuf Kalla from the Golkar Party and both had agreed not to nominate themselves for the presidency, instead trying to push the PDI-P and Golkar to nominate a young, fresh and highly qualified candidate in 2014.