IN the campaign picture Megawati Soekarnoputri was seen holding a sheaf of rice. Underneath was written: “Mari Sejahterakan Petani (Let’s fight for the welfare of Indonesian farmers). Use high yield EMSPE rice variety.” Both the acronym EMESPE and M(ari) S(ejahterakan) P(etani) stand for MSP, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

A hundred tons of EMESPE rice variety has been prepared fo