Dead president drives Indonesia's agenda

Megawati may meet Wahid at her father's graveside

By CNN's Atika Shubert

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The graveside of Indonesia's founding father, Sukarno, is where the political temperature of the troubled country will be measured Wednesday.

Tens of thousands are expected to go there to commemorate the anniversary of his death.

Two pilgrims in particular will be watched: President Abdurrahman Wahid and Sukarno's eldest daughter, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

As old friends turned political foes, they will be visiting the gravesite separately.

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But the event is an opportunity for the pair to meet and begin repairing a strained relationship that has become a bitter power struggle.

"This is a significant emotional time for both of them, especially Mrs. Megawati," said Frans Seda, an economic adviser to the deputy president.

"But it would be better if they could meet in front of that great spirit and talk about a solution together."

A symbol of national unity

Ironically, the anniversary of Sukarno's death has long been regarded as a symbol of national unity under political repression.

Visiting the gravesite became a statement of the struggle against former President Suharto, the authoritarian strongman that wrested power from Sukarno and ruled the country for more than three decades.

Under Suharto, the only celebration allowed of Sukarno was his death.

Just before the 1999 elections, Mr. Wahid and Mrs. Megawati made a pilgrimage to the gravesite together, signaling a united front against the remnants of Suharto's dictatorship.

At the time, Megawati looked set to continue in the footsteps of her father. As leader of the nation's most popular party, Megawati seemed a sure thing for the presidency.

Power struggle

Instead, Wahid snatched the presidency and Megawati was voted in as his deputy in a tangle of political intrigue.

The relationship between the two never fully recovered, creating the conditions for a bitter tug-of-war.

Despite their differences, both claim to channel the political spirit of Sukarno.

Megawati's party prominently displays pictures of him on hundreds of campaign stickers and posters.

As ties to his deputy quickly deteriorated, Wahid leveraged support with another Sukarno daughter, Rachmawati Sukarnoputri.

Openly sniping at her sister's use of their father's image, Rachmawati now attends events by the president's side

"We see that the party that won the most votes in the 1999 elections only did so because they attached themselves to Brother Sukarno," Rachmawati said recently of her sister's political party.

Presidential aides also say that Wahid compares his current political situation to that of Sukarno.

Like the former president, Wahid attempted to dissolve parliament when they moved against him. Unlike Sukarno, however, Wahid did not succeed, unsupported by the military.

Extending an olive branch

At this point, Megawati holds the fate of Wahid in her hands.

She controls the largest party in a parliament that is bent on impeaching Wahid.

She is also next in line to the presidency. Any political deal or compromise to avoid impeachment must involve Megawati.

Wahid's attempts to reconcile with his deputy have been rebuffed so far.

But by attending the commemoration of her father's death, Megawati may extend an olive branch to Wahid and a flicker of hope for political compromise.