PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to have a closed-door dialogue with the chairs of the pro-government Golkar Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB), after the ruling party’s senior members held preliminary talks with their counterparts in recent weeks, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said.

“There will be an [upcoming] meeting. Last week I met with Pak Muhaimin Iskandar and Pak Airlangga Hartarto. We will thus arrange a closed-door meeting with Ibu Megawati first,” Hasto said over the weekend.

Both Golkar and the PKB have confirmed the plan, with Airlangga and Muhaimin saying that they were waiting for the right time to have a sit-down with the PDI-P chairwoman. “Talks [about having a meeting] have happened, the date still needs to be confirmed," Airlangga said on Monday.

The meeting came as a surprise as both parties have hinted their resistance to working with the PDI-P, with the PKB declaring that it intended to make sure three presidential candidates will take part in the upcoming elections, and Golkar warning the PDI-P not to take over the bloc if it wished to join the so-called “grand alliance”.

The PKB currently makes up half of the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition (KKIR) with the Gerindra Party, but Muhaimin is confident that Golkar will soon be joining the fold. Golkar, meanwhile, is currently the de facto leader of the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) with the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP). The fate of their alliance is in doubt, however, as the PPP has endorsed Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo of the PDI-P.

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