Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri (; born 23 January 1947) is an Indonesian politician who served as the fifth
president of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Presiden Republik Indonesia) is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government and is ...
from 2001 to 2004. She previously served as the eighth
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
from 1999 to 2001.
Megawati is Indonesia's first
female president and the
sixth woman to lead a
Muslim-majority country. She is also the first Indonesian president and as of 2021 the only vice president to be born after
Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945. After serving as vice president to
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid ( ; born Abdurrahman ad-Dakhil; 7 September 1940 – 30 December 2009), though more colloquially known as Gus Dur (), was an Indonesian politician and Islamic religious leader who served as the 4th president of Indonesia, from ...
, Megawati became president when Wahid was removed from office in 2001. She ran for re-election in the
2004 presidential election, but was defeated by
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
. She ran again in the
2009 presidential election, but Yudhoyono defeated her for a second time.
She is the first and current (as of 2021) leader of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle ( id, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDI-P) is an Indonesian political party, and the party of the current President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
The PDI-P was founded and is currently led by Me ...
(PDI-P), one of Indonesia's largest political parties. She is the eldest daughter of Indonesia's first president,
Sukarno
Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967.
Sukarno was the leader of ...
.
Name
Her name, ''Sukarnoputri'' (meaning 'daughter of
Sukarno
Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967.
Sukarno was the leader of ...
'), is a
patronym
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
, not a
family name
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
;
Javanese often do not have family names. She is often referred to as simply ''Megawati'' or ''Mega'', derived from Sanskrit meaning 'cloud goddess'. In a speech to the students of the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School, she mentioned that
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n politician
Biju Patnaik
Bijayananda Patnaik (5 March 1916 – 17 April 1997) was an Indian politician, aviator and businessman. As politician, he served twice as the Chief Minister of the State of Odisha.
Early life
His parents lived in Bellaguntha, Ganjam distri ...
named her at Sukarno's request.
Early life and education (1947–1987)
Early life
![Sukarno with children and Nehru](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Sukarno_with_children_and_Nehru.jpg)
Megawati was born in
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
to
Sukarno
Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967.
Sukarno was the leader of ...
, who had declared Indonesia's independence from the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 1945 and
Fatmawati
Fatmawati (5 February 1923 – 14 May 1980) is a National Hero of Indonesia ( id, Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia). As the inaugural First Lady of Indonesia, she was the third wife of the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, and the mother of Indon ...
, one of his nine wives. Megawati was Sukarno's second child and first daughter. She grew up in her father's
Merdeka Palace. She danced for her father's guests and developed a gardening hobby. Megawati was 19 when her father relinquished power in 1966 and was succeeded by a government which eventually came to be led by President
Suharto
Suharto (; ; 8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian army officer and politician, who served as the second and the longest serving president of Indonesia. Widely regarded as a military dictator by international observers, Suharto ...
.
Education
Megawati attended
Padjadjaran University
Padjadjaran University id, Universitas Padjajaran, abbreviated as UNPAD) is a public university located in Sumedang Regency and Bandung, which is the provincial capital of West Java, Indonesia. It was established on September 11, 1957.
UNPAD ha ...
in
Bandung
Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...
to study agriculture but dropped out in 1967 to be with her father following his fall. In 1970, the year her father died, Megawati went to the
University of Indonesia
The University of Indonesia ( id, Universitas Indonesia, abbreviated as UI) is a public university in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the oldest tertiary-level educational institutions in Indonesia (known as the Dut ...
to study psychology but dropped out after two years.
Early political career (1987–1999)
Member of parliament
Tenure
![Megawati Taufik Kiemas, 1987](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Megawati_Taufik_Kiemas%2C_1987.jpg)
In 1986, Suharto gave the status of Proclamation Hero to Sukarno in a ceremony attended by Megawati. Suharto's acknowledgment enabled the
Indonesian Democratic Party
The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) was one of the two state-approved parties during the New Order era of the late 20th-century in Indonesia.
Origins
Ten political parties participated in the 1971 legislative elections, a number that Pres ...
(PDI), a government-sanctioned party, to campaign on Sukarno nostalgia in the lead-up to the 1987
legislative elections
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
. Up to that time, Megawati had seen herself as a housewife, but in 1987 she joined PDI and ran for a
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia, DPR-RI), also known as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected chambers of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), ...
(DPR) seat.
The PDI accepted Megawati to boost their own image. Megawati quickly became popular, her status as Sukarno's daughter offsetting her lack of oratorical skills. Although PDI came last in the elections, Megawati was elected to the DPR. Like all members of the DPR she also became a member of the
People's Consultative Assembly
The People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Republik Indonesia, MPR-RI) is the legislative branch in Politics of Indonesia, Indonesia's political system. It is composed of the membe ...
(MPR).
Indonesian Democratic Party chair
Election as chair
Megawati was not reelected, but continued as a PDI member. In December 1993, the PDI held a national congress. As was always the case when
New Order opposition parties held their congresses, the government actively interfered. As the Congress approached, three individuals contended for the PDI chair. The incumbent,
Suryadi, had become critical of the government. The second was Budi Harjono a government-friendly figure whom the government backed. The third was Megawati. Her candidacy received such overwhelming support that her election at the Congress became a formality.
When the congress assembled, the government stalled and delayed attempts to hold the election.
The congress faced a deadline when their permit to assemble would run out. As the hours ticked down to the end of the congress, troops began gathering. With only two hours remaining, Megawati called a press conference, stating that because she enjoyed the support of a majority of PDI members, she was now the de facto chair.
Despite her relative lack of political experience, she was popular in part for her status as Sukarno's daughter and because she was seen as free of corruption with admirable personal qualities. Under her leadership, PDI gained a large following among the urban poor and both urban and rural middle classes.
Party split
The government was outraged at its failure to prevent Megawati's rise. They never acknowledged Megawati although her self-appointment was ratified in 1994. In 1996, the government convened a special national congress in
Medan
Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four main ...
that reelected Suryadi as chair. Megawati and her camp refused to acknowledge the results and the PDI divided into pro-Megawati and anti-Megawati camps.
27 July 1996 Incident
Suryadi began threatening to take back PDI's Headquarters in Jakarta. This threat was carried on the morning of
27 July 1996. Suryadi's supporters (reportedly with the Government's backing) attacked PDI Headquarters and faced resistance from Megawati supporters stationed there. In the ensuing fight, Megawati's supporters held on to the headquarters. A riot ensued, followed by a government crackdown. The Government later blamed the riots on the
People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to:
* People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
*People's Democratic Party (Belize)
*People's Democratic Party (Bhutan)
*People's Democratic Party (Chile)
* People's Democratic Party (Dom ...
(PRD), and continued to recognize Suryadi's faction as the official party.
1997 legislative election
Despite what seemed to be a political defeat, Megawati scored a moral victory and her popularity grew. When the time came for the
1997 legislative election, Megawati and her supporters threw their support behind the
United Development Party
The United Development Party ( id, Partai Persatuan Pembangunan, sometimes translated as Development Unity Party; abbreviated PPP) is an Islam-basedAl-Hamdi, Ridho. (2013). ''Partai politik Islam: Teori dan praktik di Indonesia''. Yogyakarta: Grah ...
(PPP), the other approved opposition party.
''Reformasi''
1999 Legislative election
In mid-1997, Indonesia began to be affected by the
Asian Financial Crisis
The Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East Asia and Southeast Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. However, the recovery in 1998–1 ...
and showed severe economic distress. By late January 1998 the
rupiah
The rupiah (symbol: Rp; currency code: IDR) is the official currency of Indonesia. It is issued and controlled by Bank Indonesia. The name "rupiah" is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, (). Sometimes, Indonesians also informally use the ...
fell to nearly 15,000 against the
US dollar
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
, compared to only 4,000 in early December. Increasing public anger at pervasive corruption culminated with Suharto's resignation and the assumption of the presidency by Vice President
B. J. Habibie
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (; 25 June 1936 – 11 September 2019) was an Indonesian engineer and politician who was the third president of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999. Less than three months after his inauguration as the seventh vice preside ...
in May 1998, starting the
Reform era (''Reformasi''). The restrictions on Megawati were removed and she began to consolidate her political position. In October 1998, her supporters held a National Congress whereby Megawati's PDI faction would now be known as the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle ( id, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDI-P) is an Indonesian political party, and the party of the current President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
The PDI-P was founded and is currently led by Me ...
(PDI-P). Megawati was elected Chair and was nominated as PDI-P's presidential candidate.
PDI-P, together with
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid ( ; born Abdurrahman ad-Dakhil; 7 September 1940 – 30 December 2009), though more colloquially known as Gus Dur (), was an Indonesian politician and Islamic religious leader who served as the 4th president of Indonesia, from ...
's
National Awakening Party
The National Awakening Party ( id, Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa), frequently abbreviated to PKB, is an Islam-basedAl-Hamdi, Ridho. (2017). ''Moving towards a Normalised Path: Political Islam in Contemporary Indonesia''. JURNAL STUDI PEMERINTAHAN (J ...
(PKB) and
Amien Rais'
National Mandate Party
The National Mandate Party ( id, Partai Amanat Nasional), frequently abbreviated to PAN, is an Islam-basedAl-Hamdi, Ridho. (2017). ''Moving towards a Normalised Path: Political Islam in Contemporary Indonesia''. JURNAL STUDI PEMERINTAHAN (JOURNAL ...
(PAN), became the leading reform forces. Despite their popularity, Megawati, Wahid and Rais adopted a moderate stance, preferring to wait until the
1999 legislative election to begin major changes. In November 1998, Megawati, together with Wahid, Rais and
Hamengkubuwono X
Sri Sultan Hamengkubawono X (Hanacaraka: , also spelled as Hamengkubawana X, often abbreviated as HB X; born Bendara Raden Mas Herjuno Darpito, 2 April 1946) is the Sultan of the historic Yogyakarta Sultanate in Indonesia and is currently als ...
reiterated their commitment to reform through the Ciganjur Statement.
Result
As the elections approached, Megawati, Wahid and Amien considered forming a political coalition against President Habibie and
Golkar
)
, foundation =
, youth = AMPG (Golkar Party Young Force)
, women = KPPG (Golkar Party Women's Corps)
, newspaper = '' Suara Karya'' (1971–2016)
, headquarters = Jakarta
, ideology ...
. In May,
Alwi Shihab
Alwi Abdurrahman Shihab ( ar, علوي عبد الرحمن شهاب ') (born 19 August 1946 in South Sulawesi) is a scholar of the interaction of Christian and Muslim communities. Currently he is the Indonesian President's special envoy to the ...
held a press conference at his house during which Megawati, Wahid and Amien were to announce that they would work together. At the last minute, Megawati chose not to attend, because she decided that she could not trust Amien.
In June, the elections were held and PDI-P came first with 33% of the votes.
With the victory, Megawati's presidential prospects solidified. She was opposed by PPP who did not want a female president.
In preparation for the 1999 MPR General Session, PDI-P formed a loose coalition with PKB. As the MPR General Session approached, it seemed as if the presidential election would be contested between Megawati and Habibie, but by late June Amien had drawn the Islamic parties into a coalition called the Central Axis.
The presidential election became a three-way race when Amien floated the idea of nominating Wahid for president; but Wahid did not provide a clear response to the proposal.
1999 Indirect presidential election
Election of Wahid as president
Megawati's PDI-P and PKB coalition faced its first test when the MPR assembled to choose its Chair. Megawati threw her support behind Matori Abdul Djalil, the Chair of PKB. He was overwhelmingly defeated by Amien, who in addition to enjoying Central Axis support was backed by Golkar.
The Golkar and Central Axis coalition struck again when they secured
Akbar Tanjung
Djandji Akbar Zahiruddin Tandjung (born 14 August 1945), more commonly referred to as Akbar Tandjung, is an Indonesian politician who served as the Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 1999 until 2004. A member of the Golkar party, ...
's election as Head of DPR. At this stage, people became wary that Megawati, who best represented reform, was going to be obstructed by the political process and that the status quo was going to be preserved. PDI-P supporters began to gather in Jakarta.
Habibie made a poorly received speech on political accountability that led him to withdraw. The presidential election held on 20 October 1999 came down to Megawati and Wahid. Megawati took an early lead, but was overtaken and lost with 313 votes compared to Wahid's 373. Megawati's loss provoked her supporters to revolt.
Riots raged in Java and
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
. In the city of
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
, PDI-P masses attacked Amien's house.
Selection as vice president
The next day, the MPR assembled to elect the vice president. PDI-P had considered nominating Megawati, but were concerned that the Central Axis and Golkar coalition would again thwart her. Instead, PKB nominated Megawati. She faced stiff competition from
Hamzah Haz
Hamzah Haz (born 15 February 1940) is an Indonesian politician who served as vice president of Indonesia from 2001 until 2004, under President Megawati Sukarnoputri. He previously held the positions of Minister of Investment and Coordinating M ...
,
Akbar Tanjung
Djandji Akbar Zahiruddin Tandjung (born 14 August 1945), more commonly referred to as Akbar Tandjung, is an Indonesian politician who served as the Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 1999 until 2004. A member of the Golkar party, ...
and General
Wiranto
Wiranto (born 4 April 1947) is an Indonesian politician and former army general, who is serving as the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council, since December 2019. Previously, he was the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces from Febru ...
.
Well aware of the riots, Akbar and Wiranto withdrew. Hamzah stayed in the race, but Megawati defeated him 396 to 284. In her inauguration speech, she called for calm.
Vice president (1999–2001)
Tenure
![Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri - Indonesia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Vice_President_Megawati_Sukarnoputri_-_Indonesia.jpg)
As vice president, Megawati had considerable authority by virtue of her commanding many seats in the DPR. Wahid delegated to her the problems in
Ambon
Ambon may refer to:
Places
* Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia
** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province
** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796
* Ambon, Morbihan, a c ...
, although she was not successful.
By the time the MPR Annual Session assembled in August 2000, many considered Wahid to be ineffective as president or as an administrator. Wahid responded to this by issuing a presidential decree, giving Megawati day-to-day control of the government.
2000 PDI-P National Congress
The First PDI-P Congress was held in
Semarang
Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...
,
Central Java
Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...
, in April 2000, at which Megawati was re-elected as Chair for a second term.
Megawati consolidated her position within PDI-P by taking harsh measures to remove potential rivals. During the election for the Chair, two other candidates emerged;
Eros Djarot
Erros Djarot (born 22 July 1950) is an Indonesian songwriter, director and politician. Beginning his music career with the soundtrack of ''Kawin Lari'' in 1976, Djarot became famous with the success of '' Badai Pasti Berlalu'' and its soundtrack ...
and Dimyati Hartono. They ran because they did not want Megawati to serve concurrently as both chair and vice president. Eros' nomination from the
South Jakarta
South Jakarta ( id, Jakarta Selatan; bew, Jakarte Beludik ), colloquially known as ''Jaksel'', is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not h ...
branch was voided by membership problems. Eros was not allowed to participate in the Congress. Disillusioned with what he perceived to be a
cult of personality
A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, Cristóbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create an id ...
developing around Megawati, Eros left PDI-P. In July 2002, he formed the
Freedom Bull National Party. Although Dimyati's candidacy was not opposed as harshly as Eros, he was removed as Head of PDI-P's Central Branch. He kept his position as a
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia, DPR-RI), also known as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected chambers of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), ...
(DPR) member, but left the party to become a university lecturer. In April 2002, Dimyati formed the Our Homeland of Indonesia Party (PITA).
Relationship with Wahid and rise to the presidency
Megawati had an ambivalent relationship with Wahid. During the Cabinet reshuffle of August 2000 for example, Megawati was not present for the announcement of the new line-up. At another occasion, when the political tide began to turn against Wahid, Megawati defended him and lashed out against critics. In 2001, Megawati began to distance herself from Wahid as a Special Session of the MPR approached and her prospects of becoming president improved. Although she refused to make any specific comments, she showed signs of preparing herself, holding a meeting with party leaders a day before the Special Session was to start.
Presidency (2001–2004)
Tenure
On 23 July 2001, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
removed Wahid from office and subsequently swore in Megawati as the new president.
She thus became the
sixth woman to lead a Muslim-majority country. On 9 August 2001, she announced her
Mutual Assistance Cabinet
The Mutual Assistance Cabinet ( id, Kabinet Gotong Royong) was the Indonesian Cabinet which served under President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz from 10 August 2001 until 20 October 2004. The Cabinet was formed after Megawa ...
.
The rise of an icon of opposition against the Suharto regime to the presidency was initially widely welcomed, however it soon became apparent that her presidency was marked with indecisiveness, lack of clear ideological direction, and "a reputation for inaction on important policy issues".
The good side of slow progress of reforms and avoiding confrontations was that she stabilized the overall democratization process and relationship between legislative, executive, and military.
[
She ran for election in the country's first direct presidential election in 2004, hoping to become the first woman elected in her own right as head of state in a Muslim-majority country. However, she was decisively defeated by ]Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
in the second round, by 61 percent to 39 percent, on 20 September 2004. She did not attend the new president's inauguration, and never had congratulated him.
Post-presidency (2004–present)
Leader of the PDI-P
2009 general elections
On 11 September 2007 Megawati announced her candidacy in the 2009 presidential election
at a PDI-P gathering. Soetardjo Soerjoguritno confirmed her willingness to be nominated as her party's presidential candidate. Her nomination for president was announced on 15 May 2009, with Gerindra Party
The Gerindra Party (acronym for , ) is a political party in Indonesia. Formed in 2008, Gerindra serves as the political vehicle of former general Prabowo Subianto. It is presently the third-largest party in the People's Representative Council, Ho ...
leader Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former army lieutenant general who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He is the son of Sumitro Djojoh ...
as her running mate.
Megawati's 2009 race was overshadowed by her calls to change Indonesia's voter registration
In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise eligible to vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted to vote.
The ru ...
procedure, obliquely suggesting that Yudhoyono's supporters were trying to manipulate the vote. Megawati and Prabowo lost the election to Yudhoyono, coming in second with 26.79% of the vote.
2014 general elections
On 24 February 2012, Megawati distanced herself from polls that placed her as a top contender for the 2014 presidential election. Megawati, still Chair of PDI-P, appealed to her party at a gathering in Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
to focus on PDI-P's current priorities. Nonetheless, a domain name
A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet, such as websites, email services and more. As ...
appeared to have been registered in her name. On 27 December 2012, the daily edition of the ''Jakarta Post
''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Niskala Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta.
''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian med ...
'' hinted at a possible reconciliation in the 2014 general election between the families of Megawati and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
and their political parties, her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle ( id, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDI-P) is an Indonesian political party, and the party of the current President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
The PDI-P was founded and is currently led by Me ...
(PDI-P) and his Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
respectively.
For 2014 general election, Megawati's party and their coalition partners nominated Joko Widodo
Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
as their candidate for president. Widodo defeated his opponent Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former army lieutenant general who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He is the son of Sumitro Djojoh ...
in a hotly contested election. Later, the relationship between Megawati and Widodo became strained as she pushed for Police Commissary General Budi Gunawan, for the post of the Indonesian Police Chief, despite him being investigated for corruption by the Corruption Eradication Commission
Corruption Eradication Commission ( id, Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi), abbreviated as KPK, is an Indonesian government agency established to prevent and fight corruption in the country. Firli Bahuri, an active police general, is the current cha ...
(KPK). Budi Gunawan was Megawati's Adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
during her tenure as Indonesian president.
At the 4th of PDI-P National Congress on 20 September 2014, Megawati was reappointed as Chair of PDI-P for the year of 2015–2020.
Post-Presidency Appointments
So far, only Megawati is a former Indonesian president which somehow retained her influence to a ruling government and even appointed to strategic positions with advisory capabilities. On 22 March 2018, she was appointed as Head of Steering Committee of Pancasila Ideology Development Agency
The Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (Indonesian: ''Badan Pembinaan Ideologi Pancasila'', BPIP) is a non-ministerial government agency formed by the Indonesian government in 2018 with Presidential Decree No.7/2018. The agency was tasked with ...
. She also gained position as Head of National Research and Innovation Agency
The National Research and Innovation Agency ( id, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN) is a cabinet-level government agency formed by the Indonesian government in 2019. Originally a new agency attached to the Ministry of Research and Technolo ...
Steering Committee since 5 May 2021, and she was formally appointed on 13 September 2021.
Personal life
Megawati's first husband was First Lieutenant Surindro Supjarso, whom she married on 1 June 1968. He perished in a plane crash in Biak
Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and c ...
, West Irian
Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, or Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the Melanesian island of New Guinea which is administered by Indonesia. Since the island is alternatively named as Papua, the region ...
, on 22 January 1970. On 27 June 1972, she married Hassan Gamal Ahmad Hassan, an Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian diplomat. The marriage was annulled by the Religious Court less than 3 months later. She then married Taufiq Kiemas on 25 March 1973. He died on 8 June 2013. She had three children, Mohammad Rizki Pratama, Muhammad Prananda Prabowo, and Puan Maharani
Puan Maharani Nakshatra Kusyala Devi (born 6 September 1973) is an Indonesian politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), who is serving as the current speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Indonesia's lower hou ...
. The sons are from her marriage with Surindro, while Puan is the only child from Megawati's marriage to Taufiq.
Awards
National honours
*
Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipurna) (8 August 2001)
*
Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 2nd Class ( id, Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana) (3 February 2001)
*
Star of Mahaputera, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Mahaputera Adipurna) (3 February 2001)
*
Star of Merit, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Jasa Utama) (8 August 2001)
*
Star of Culture Parama Dharma ( id, Bintang Budaya Parama Dharma) (8 August 2001)
*
Star of Yudha Dharma, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Yudha Dharma Utama) (8 August 2001)
*
Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi Utama) (8 August 2001)
*
Star of Jalasena, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Jalasena Utama) (8 August 2001)
*
Star of Swa Bhuwana Paksa, 1st Class ( id, Bintang Swa Bhuwana Paksa Utama) (8 August 2001)
Foreign honours
*:
**
Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds a ...
(2 June 2021)
References
Further reading
*
* Gerlach, Ricarda (2013): 'Mega' Expectations: Indonesia's Democratic Transition and First Female President. In: Derichs, Claudia/Mark R. Thompson (eds.): Dynasties and Female Political Leaders in Asia. Berlin et al.: LIT, p. 247–290.
* Skard, Torild (2014) "Megawati" in ''Women of power – half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide''. Bristol: Policy Press, .
* Wichelen, Sonja van (University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
).
Contesting Megawati: The Mediation of Islam and Nation in Times of Political Transition
" () ''Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture''. 2006 (University of Westminster
, mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength
, type = Public
, established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster
, endowment = £5.1 million ...
, London), Vol. 3(2): 41–59. ISSN 1744-6708 (Print); 1744–6716 (Online). p. 41–59.
External links
*."
Archive
''Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture''. 2006 (University of Westminster
, mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength
, type = Public
, established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster
, endowment = £5.1 million ...
, London), Vol. 3(2): 41–59. ISSN 1744-6708 (Print); 1744–6716 (Online). p. 41–59.
* Gerlach, Ricarda (2013): 'Mega' Expectations: Indonesia's Democratic Transition and First Female President. In: Derichs, Claudia/Mark R. Thompson (eds.): Dynasties and Female Political Leaders in Asia. Berlin et al.: LIT, p. 247–290.
* Skard, Torild (2014) "Megawati" in ''Women of power – half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide''. Bristol: Policy Press, .
*. ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
''.
*Karon, Tony.
The Princess Who Settled for the Presidency
" ''TIME Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
''. Friday 27 July 2001.
Biography of Megawati Soekarnoputri at SekolahVirtual
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Megawati Sukarnoputri
1947 births
21st-century Indonesian politicians
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Articles containing video clips
Balinese people
Candidates in the 2009 Indonesian presidential election
Children of national leaders
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Indonesian Muslims
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Living people
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