May 8, 2024
JAKARTA – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has dropped another hint that it may play an opposition role to the incoming government ahead of the much-anticipated meeting between its chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and president-elect Prabowo Subianto.
In a speech for a post-Idul Fitri event with his supporters and campaigners on Monday, unsuccessful PDI-P presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo announced that he would take up the role of an opposition to the next administration.
“I hereby declare first that I will not join [the next] government. But I have respect for [our] government, so we will carry out control [supervision] properly,” Ganjar said, as broadcast by Kompas TV.
“Politics does not have to be ruthless. Everyone is equally respectful. There is no need to scoff at each other. The most appropriate way to [criticize] is through the legislature,” he added.
Ganjar ran for president in February on the ticket of the PDI-P, which had been the political vehicle of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo until the outgoing leader declined to endorse Ganjar and instead supported Prabowo, whose running mate was Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
The PDI-P is projected to have the biggest share of seats in the House of Representatives after winning the largest number of nationwide votes in the February legislative election. But the party has found itself at a crossroads in its post-election position – whether to join Prabowo’s big governing coalition or take up the role of opposition in the legislature.
Party matriarch Megawati is expected to announce her party’s stance toward Prabowo’s incoming government later this month, when the party holds its national meeting from May 24 to 26.
Asked whether Ganjar’s position was indicative of the party’s future direction, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said on Monday: “Yes, of course [it reflects the party’s position] – because this is the attitude of statesmanship.”
Hasto reiterated the party’s commitment to serving the nation, noting that “the scope for service is very broad, for example, ensuring the rule of law is upheld and meritocracy is strengthened, institutionalized.”
“The 2024 general election has given us a very valuable lesson: that sovereignty in the hands of the people must not be taken away in any way,” Hasto added.
The PDI-P’s renewed hints about taking the role of opposition to the next government came ahead of a possible meeting between Megawati and Prabowo, which has garnered a warm welcome from party members of both sides.
Several aides of Prabowo have unveiled that the president-elect intended to formally invite the PDI-P into his ruling coalition during his upcoming talk with Megawati.
Since the February general election, Prabowo has been reaching out to rival parties to assemble a big-tent coalition after four parties backing his presidential bid – his own Gerindra Party, the Golkar Party, the Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) – failed to gain a legislative majority.
Prabowo is now on course to command a two-thirds majority in the House after he recently welcomed two of three parties in the camp of unsuccessful presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, the NasDem Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB), into his fold.
Neither Gerindra nor the PDI-P has revealed when talks between Prabowo and Megawati would occur, but Gerindra is optimistic that the two political heavyweights would convene sometime soon.
“Seeing the good relations between the PDI-P and Gerindra and between Prabowo and Megawati, I’m sure that in the not too distant future, there will be a meeting between the two,” Gerindra politician Habiburokhman said.
Gerindra secretary-general Ahmad Muzani also dismissed suggestions that Jokowi’s rift with the PDI-P may derail the chance of Prabowo holding a talk with Megawati, noting that “in fact, Jokowi was the one who suggested [the meeting].”
Jokowi declined to comment about his role in the possible Prabowo-Megawati meeting, simply flashing a smile when asked about it on Tuesday.