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Anies camp remains solid amid PDI-P and Democrats reconciliation, analysts say
Puan Maharani of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) of the Democratic Party left Sunday’s reconciliation talks without any agreements on a political pact, but stressed that it was only their first discussion and there would be more follow up talks ahead of the elections.
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Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Puan Maharani (left) and Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) are seen on the sidelines of their closed-door meeting at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on June 18. (Antara/Asprilla Dwi Adha)
Amid signs of a thawing relationship, Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono finally met with Puan Maharani of the largest ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), on Sunday.
Despite this reconciliation, analysts believe that the Democrats remain committed to its support for opposition figure and presidential nominee Anies Baswedan.
Escorted by senior members of their respective parties, Puan and Agus met behind closed doors at the Plataran restaurant at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta for an hour on Sunday morning.
“We both agreed that [communication] won’t stop today. Politics is dynamic, and to establish some middle ground we both need to set time to talk to each other,” Puan told a joint press conference after the meeting. “If you see us earlier being friendly to each other, that wasn’t an act. If it was just an act, why would we talk for an hour?”
Agus, or AHY as he is popularly known, said the show of political reconciliation made by the two parties could set a good example for the rest of the nation. While the two parties have charted their own path for the 2024 presidential election, Agus said he and Puan could not help but probe the position of each other’s parties before and after the election next year.
“For example, [Puan] asked me how the Democratic Party currently stands, in October [when presidential candidate registration opens] and beyond the election,” Agus said.
Read also: PDI-P offers Democrats potential reconciliation amid cracks in Anies camp
