In an unexpected move after years of feuding, the founder of the opposition Democratic Party took to Twitter on Monday to recount a dream he apparently had that saw him, Megawati and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo go on a homecoming journey together by train to their respective hometowns in the Javanese heartland.

“I had a dream, one day Pak Jokowi came to my house in Cikeas [West Java] to go together to pick up Bu Megawati at her residence. Then the three of us headed to Gambir Station [in Jakarta],” the retired army general tweeted.

“Already waiting at Gambir Station was the 8th President of Indonesia, who had bought tickets for the Gajayana train to Central Java & East Java. Because there was still time, the four of us drank coffee while chatting casually,” he continued in his Twitter thread.

“After that, the three of us got on the Gajayana train that was ready to leave for our destinations. On the way there, we warmly greeted the Indonesian people. People whom we once led with full sincerity. Leading a nation that is never without its challenges.

“Arriving in Solo [Surakarta, Central Java], Pak Jokowi and I got off the train. Pak Jokowi returned to his residence, and I headed to Pacitan [in East Java] by bus. Meanwhile, Megawati continued her trip to go on a pilgrimage to Bung Karno’s grave in Blitar,” he said, referring to the first president Sukarno.

Political reciprocity

Since his post, this dream has prompted wide speculation, primarily on the question of whether the two rivals would actually embrace reconciliation more than two decades after their once-tight relationship turned sour. Yudhoyono was a senior member of then-president Megawati’s Cabinet when he quit in 2004 to run for the top job and successfully unseated his former boss.

However, PDI-P executive Puan Maharani approved of the idea that her mother Megawati would mend ties with Yudhoyono. She maintained that senior politicians could help create an environment that empowered the younger generation to continue the nation-building project.

Responding to questions on the possibility that the two political leaders would meet again, Puan said: “Never say never. There is still hope, we should never give up [...] We hope that in time, everyone can gather in harmony.”

Asked separately about Yudhoyono’s dream, President Jokowi welcomed the suggestion of reconciliation, noting that the people “have been wishing” for the political elite to be united for the sake of the country.

“It would be good if presidents and former presidents work together to build this nation. That is our collective dream,” said the card-carrying member of the PDI-P, on Tuesday.

Yudhoyono’s dream comes after a historic meeting between his son, Democrats chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, and the PDI-P’s Puan on Sunday, following a shift in the largest party in the ruling coalition's stance that previously ruled out the possibility that the two parties could forge a partnership, despite their fundamental differences in governing.

Signs that the PDI-P was extending an olive branch to the Democrats emerged earlier this month when Puan named Agus one of the potential running mates for PDI-P presidential nominee Ganjar Pranowo. Her remarks at the time came as opposition figure Anies Baswedan, who the Democrats are planning to support for the presidency, lagged behind his potential rivals in electability.

This uncertainty has prompted the Democrats to threaten to leave the coalition if Anies did not improve his chances soon and his running mate was not announced this month.

Interpretation of dreams

Analysts have said the prospect of having the two parties forge an alliance would take more than a single meeting of leaders or a tweet about a symbolic dream, said Djayadi Hanan, executive director of Lembaga Survey Indonesia (LSI).

“It is too risky for the Democrats to leave the Anies camp. Many of their own supporters back Anies and, conversely, many Anies voters backed the Democrats,” he said.

Yudhoyono’s dream could also be interpreted in a completely different way.

Sirojudin Abbas, executive director of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), said that rather than a message of reconciliation, Yudhoyono’s dream was an invitation for Megawati and Jokowi to withdraw from the political arena altogether.

“In Javanese political philosophy, there’s the tradition of madeg pandito ratu, which can be understood as former kings leaving the palace to find solitude [...] while the affairs of managing a country after relinquishing power are fully handed over to the successor,” Sirojudin explained.

However, members of the Democratic Party have insisted that the dream was an open invitation for reconciliation beyond the 2024 presidential race.

On Tuesday, Kamhar Lakumani, the party’s campaign manager, said the dream portrays the “spirit of reconciliation”, while deputy secretary-general Renanda Bachtar suggested it was a message of hope for the people.

“We believe that the olive branch extended by the PDI-P is not just a gimmick. Rather, it is a sincere invitation for the Democratic Party to work together to build the nation in the spirit of ‘let bygones be bygones’,” Renanda said.