Gerindra Party politician Desmond Mahesa has downplayed a planned meeting between chairman Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) counterpart Megawati Soekarnoputri, saying that talks with the ruling party would be pointless unless the latter would be willing to settle for the vice presidential seat.

"Megawati has already announced Ganjar [as the presidential candidate]. So, what are the odds that Ganjar would settle as Prabowo’s running mate when Prabowo has been declared by Gerindra as its presidential candidate," Desmond said on Tuesday.

Prabowo and the National Awakening Party (PKB) chair Muhaimin Iskandar previously said they had been expecting a sit down with the PDI-P matriarch following her party's nomination of its own politician, the popular Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo. Prabowo and Muhaimin noted that plans had been underway to realize the meeting.

Both Gerindra and the PKB have inked an electoral pact to back Prabowo’s presidential bid in the upcoming race, but both party leaders have yet to come to an agreement over Prabowo’s running mate.

Desmond went on to say that he remained doubtful over the prospect of Gerindra’s partnership with the PDI-P, referring to past feuds between the two parties.

"I trust Jokowi more than Megawati. Megawati has lied to Pak Prabowo a lot," he said, referring to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who is a member of the PDI-P.

Prabowo once ran as Megawati’s running mate when she ran for president in the 2009 presidential election, but the relationship soured after the latter snubbed Prabowo and backed Jokowi instead in the 2014 presidential race. The move was seen by the retired army general as a betrayal of the 2009 pact they had signed promising PDI-P support for his campaign.

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