Indonesia
President of Indonesia
Hijri 1366–Present (AH); Common Era 1947–Present (CE)
Megawati Sukarnoputri is the former president of Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world. The daughter of Indonesia’s first president and liberation hero, Sukarno, Megawati was born into one of Indonesia’s most politically powerful families. In 1967, her father was overthrown by a military coup led by Suharto. In 1987, Megawati joined the politically sanctioned opposition party, PDI (Indonesian Democratic Party), and was elected to the People’s Representative Council (DPR), even though her party did not fare well in the legislative elections. She became such a popular figure that she was elected to lead the PDI, representing not only the legacy of her father, but general opposition to the military government. In 1996, Suharto tried to dispose her as head of the party, but protests forced him to back down. This national incident only increased her popularity, while adding to his political downfall. In 1998, Suharto resigned and Megawati’s PDI party won the majority of votes in the parliamentary election. She became Vice-President under Abdurrahman Wahid and then president in 2001 after Mr. Wahid was removed under corruption charges. In 2004, she ran for re-election but was defeated by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. She is running for re-election in July 2009.
