Megawati Soekarnoputri
Who was Megawati Soekarnoputri?
Fifth President of Indonesia (2001-2004) and daughter of founding president Sukarno, she was the country's first female president.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Megawati Soekarnoputri (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri, born on January 23, 1947, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is the eldest daughter of Sukarno, Indonesia's first president. She studied at the University of Indonesia and later at Padjadjaran University, laying the groundwork for her future in politics. Her political journey was heavily shaped by her family background and the turmoil after her father's ouster in the late 1960s.
Megawati started her political career with the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in the 1980s and eventually became its leader, despite opposition from the government. Her leadership led to conflicts with President Suharto's New Order regime, resulting in a government-backed takeover of the PDI in 1996. She then founded the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in 1998, which became a major political party during Indonesia's transition to democracy.
In 1999, after Suharto stepped down and Indonesia moved towards democracy, Megawati was elected vice president under Abdurrahman Wahid. When Wahid was impeached by the People's Consultative Assembly in 2001, she became the country's first and only female president. Her presidency from 2001 to 2004 focused on stabilizing the Indonesian economy post-Asian Financial Crisis and strengthening democratic institutions.
As president, Megawati worked on economic recovery and national unity, dealing with regional conflicts and the aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombings. She ran for re-election in 2004 but lost to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Indonesia's first direct presidential election. She made another unsuccessful run for president in 2009, again losing to Yudhoyono. In her personal life, she has been married three times: to Surindro Supjarso, Hassan Gamal Ahmad Hasan, and Taufiq Kiemas.
Megawati has received many honors for her work, including several Indonesian military and civilian awards in 2001, such as the Bintang Swa Bhuwana Paksa Utama, Star of Jalasena, and Bintang Jasa Utama. She's also been recognized internationally with honorary doctorates from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and Fujian Normal University in 2018, and was named to Asia's Most Influential Indonesia list in 2021. She continues to lead the PDI-P and remains a key figure in Indonesian politics.
Before Fame
Megawati grew up during Indonesia's early independence period when her father, Sukarno, was president. She witnessed the challenges of building a nation and leading politically. The political chaos of the 1960s, including her father's decline in power and Suharto's New Order regime that sidelined the Sukarno family, greatly influenced her early years.
In the 1980s, she started her journey to prominence by joining the Indonesian Democratic Party to keep her father's political legacy alive. Although she didn't have formal political training, she gained support from party members and eventually became the leader. She became a symbol of opposition to Suharto's authoritarian rule at a time when political dissent was harshly controlled.
Key Achievements
- First and only female president of Indonesia (2001-2004)
- Leader and founder of PDI-P, one of Indonesia's largest political parties
- Helped stabilize Indonesia's democracy during the critical transition period following Suharto's fall
- Successfully managed Indonesia's response to major security challenges including the Bali bombings
- Served as vice president during Indonesia's democratic transition (1999-2001)
Did You Know?
- 01.She was removed from the leadership of PDI in 1996 through a government-orchestrated party congress, an event that sparked riots in Jakarta
- 02.Her political party PDI-P uses the same symbol as her father's original party - a fighting bull's head
- 03.She received six major Indonesian honors all in the same year (2001) during her presidency
- 04.Despite being president, she was known for her reserved speaking style and often let others speak on her behalf at public events
- 05.She was married to an Egyptian diplomat, Hassan Gamal Ahmad Hasan, making her one of the few Indonesian presidents with international marriage ties
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| honorary doctor of the Fujian Normal University | 2018 | — |
| honorary doctor of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations | — | — |
| Tatler 500 Indonesia | — | — |
| Asia's Most Influential Indonesia | 2021 | — |
| Bintang Swa Bhuwana Paksa Utama | 2001 | — |
| Star of Jalasena | 2001 | — |
| Star of the Kartika Eka Pakçi | 2001 | — |
| Bintang Yudha Dharma | 2001 | — |
| Cultural Merit Star | 2001 | — |
| Bintang Jasa Utama | 2001 | — |
| Bintang Mahaputera Adipurna | 2001 | — |
| Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 2nd class | 2001 | — |
| Star of the Republic of Indonesia, First class | 2001 | — |
| Order of the National Flag | 2002 | — |
| Order of Friendship | 2021 | — |