Megawati Loses Out

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Departing Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, famous for her reticence, stayed true to form in her last days in office. Despite official confirmation that rival Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had beaten her by a whopping 20 percentage points in September's runoff vote, the 57-year-old has remained largely silent on the subject. "Whoever has been chosen, we must graciously accept it," she said in an Armed Forces Day address on Oct. 5. But that was as close as she came to acknowledging defeat—and the President seemed to be having trouble following her own advice. Although Yudhoyono was seated nearby at the same event, she made no attempt to talk with the former general, far less congratulate him. And until the deadline ran out last Thursday, some presidential aides were still saying that Megawati would challenge the results, despite the opinion of election monitors that Indonesia's first direct presidential election was generally free and fair.

Although a concession isn't required for Yudhoyono to assume office, Megawati's silence has hamstrung efforts to ensure a smooth political transition. Indeed, with the Oct. 20 inauguration looming, she has given little sign that she intends to meet with her successor at all. Meanwhile, Yudhoyono has twice canceled planned acceptance speeches, and aides tell TIME that he is reluctant to make any overt assertions of power in deference to the President.

Aides say the remote Megawati, who spent much of her childhood in the presidential palace when it was the residence of her father Sukarno, has found it difficult to accept the magnitude of her rejection by Indonesia's voters. "I don't know why it was such a surprise to her," says University of Indonesia political scientist Eep Saefulloh Fatah. "All she had to do was look at the polls. Everyone said that [Yudhoyono] would win." He adds that the President's petulance tarnishes what should be a moment of triumph despite her huge election loss. "It's a shame she is so immature. She should be very proud. The holding of democratic elections during her term is by far her greatest achievement."