Politician who apparently believes that silence is prudence. Megawati was hailed as a heroine on her appointment, in 2001, as Indonesia's fifth president, and inherited the role her father Sukarno established as her country's founding leader who led the country to independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1949. She was admired across the world for being elected, three years after the fall of President Suharto, and for her peaceful struggle against the latter. Megawati, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party, avoided political limelight since the downfall of President Suharto, in 1998. She rarely gave interviews or made political speeches - some say her silence was evidence of political cunning others that she had nothing to say. However, she stepped down from the presidency when she failed to get voters mandate in the 2004 election and was replaced by Susilo Bamgbang Yudhoyono. Megawati was born into the nation's political elite - matronly and majestic. Her father is still revered as a charismatic national hero and that status has been automatically transferred to her.