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Megawati maintains full control of PDI-P rank and file
Her unrivalled authority over the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) having been reaffirmed at the partyâs national congress in Bali, Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday appointed 26 members of the central board that will aid her for the next five-year term
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H
er unrivalled authority over the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) having been reaffirmed at the party's national congress in Bali, Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday appointed 26 members of the central board that will aid her for the next five-year term.
Chair Megawati said that the new party top brass would help her secure victories in the upcoming local elections and in the 2019 legislative and presidential elections.
Members of the central board included old names, who, according to Megawati, have proven trustworthy and loyal, her two utmost criteria for candidates for top officials.
The old faces included her daughter Puan Maharani, who is also the coordinating human development and culture minister, as well as lawmakers Trimedya Panjaitan, Ahmad Basarah and Olly Dondokambey.
Megawati was quick to announce, however, that Puan would be a nonactive member of the board given her position as a minister in the Cabinet of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
Megawati also explained that she had struck a deal with Jokowi to allow Puan to carry out her duties in the PDI-P concurrently with her ministerial duties.
'It is wrong to ask politicians to give up their party positions just because they have been appointed public officials,' she said.
Jokowi has insisted that members of his Cabinet resign from their posts in their respective political parties.
As well as Puan, who was appointed head of the PDI-P's political and security affairs division, Megawati's son Muhammad Prananda Prabowo was appointed to the board to lead the party's creative economy division.
'He [Prananda] doesn't like hanging out in the crowd, because he likes the creative economy,' Megawati said in her remarks when detailing the track records of certain members of the central board.
- Megawati handpicks 26 party loyalists for central board
- Old guard includes son and daughter, fresh faces include deputy Jakarta governor
- Reiterates that all, including Jokowi, owe her allegiance,
Speculation is rife that Megawati is preparing Puan and Prananda to succeed her in the future in order to maintain her grip on the party.
According to several party executives, Puan is on the list of potential leaders to replace Megawati as she is considered to meet the three requirements for leading the party: capability, loyalty and Sukarno's bloodline.
Besides the old guard, Megawati also introduced new faces into the party management.
'I run a test on them. Only I know what the test is,' she told participants of the congress.
In defending her choices, Megawati detailed her assessment of each of the newly appointed cadres, as well as emphasizing that all the board's members owed their positions to her and her alone.
She recalled the presidential candidacy nomination of Jokowi, who was then Jakarta governor, when introducing Djarot Saiful Hidayat as leader of the membership and organization division.
'It is his good fortune to have been elected [Jakarta] deputy governor. He would not be in his position now if I had refused to nominate Pak Jokowi,' she stated.
The day before, soon after being reelected party chair, Megawati had made similar remarks.
She used her victory speech to remind all party members that she was fully in charge and to instruct Jokowi to toe the party line.
In an emotional speech, Megawati claimed that it was only thanks to her that Jokowi had become the country's sixth president, warning him not to break his campaign promises.
