Megawati Orders Her Cadres to Respect Prabowo at PDIP's Congress

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri, has ordered her cadres to respect the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party's General Chairman, Prabowo Subianto, who would attend the opening ceremony of the PDIP's congress.

When he attends the opening ceremony, which kicks off on Thursday, the party's cadres should show respect and sympathy by applauding him, Chairman of the PDIP congress' organizing committee, I Wayan Koster, said here on Wednesday evening.

Koster said the PDIP cadres were not allowed to disrespect any of the invited guests, including Prabowo Subianto, former contender of incumbent President, Joko Widodo, PDIP's cadre, at the 2019 Presidential Elections.

On July 24, 2019, Prabowo Subianto had met Megawati Soekarnoputri at her Central Jakarta residence following his July 13 reconciliatory meeting with President-elect Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Accompanied by Gerindra's Deputy General Chairman, Edy Prabowo, and Secretary General, Ahmad Muzani, Prabowo was extended a warm welcome by Megawati's son, Mohamad Prananda Prabowo, after arriving and getting out of his car at around 12:30 p.m. local time.

Subianto and Megawati, whose party is the main supporter of incumbent President and President-elect Jokowi, appeared happy during their meeting as was apparent in a photograph circulated by the PDIP to journalists.

Megawati enjoyed a round-table lunch along with her guests, her daughter Puan Maharani, her son Prananda Prabowo, and Cabinet Secretary, Pranomo Anung.

Megawati and Subianto have known each other for quite a long time. Moreover, they had contested as the presidential and vice presidential pair during the 2009 Presidential Elections. During that time, their popular slogan was "MegaPro" in their endeavor to challenge the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Boediono pair.

Subianto's meeting with Megawati took place six days after he met with Gerindra's advisory council members on July 19 for talks on the future steps following his reconciliatory meeting with Jokowi on July 13.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) officially declared the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin pair as Indonesia's president-elect and vice president-elect following the Indonesian Constitutional Court's (MK's) ruling on the presidential election result dispute on June 27, 2019.

According to the KPU's final tally, the Jokowi-Amin pair secured 85 million votes, or 55.5 percent of the national vote, as against the contenders Subianto-Sandi's 68 million votes, or 44.5 percent.

ANTARA