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Still hope for Megawati-SBY meeting, says Puan
Following her meeting with Yudhoyono's son Agus over the weekend, Megawati's daughter hinted on Tuesday that a meeting between their parents was still possible.
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House of Representatives Speaker and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) central board chairwoman Puan Maharani (right) speaks to her mother, PDI-P matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri, during the party’s national working meeting on June 21, 2022 in Jakarta. (Antara/M. Risyal Hidayat)
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o:p>Puan Maharani, Speaker of the House of Representatives and central board chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told reporters on Tuesday that the door was still open for a meeting between her mother, PDI-P matron Megawati Soekarnoputri, and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"Never say never. There's still hope [for a meeting], so we should never give up trying," Puan said in response to a tweet from Yudhoyono that he dreamed he went on a trip with Megawati by train.
Megawati and Yudhoyono, respectively the fifth and sixth presidents of Indonesia, have had a strained relationship since Yudhoyono decided to run against Megawati in the country’s first direct presidential election in 2004.
Yudhoyono was Megawati's chief security minister until he tendered his resignation in March 2004 to launch his presidential bid.
On Sunday, Puan met with Yudhoyono's son and Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti, which analysts described as a prelude to a meeting between their parents.
Analysts speculate that a possible truce between Megawati and Yudhoyono could jeopardize the presidential bid of former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, as a political deal between the PDI-P and the Democrats could result in the latter pulling its support for Anies.
Speaking after the meeting on Sunday, Agus said he and Puan discussed a number of crucial problems facing the nation, and that they did not exclusively discuss the political dynamics surrounding the 2024 general election.
"The meeting is not just a political gimmick. We also discussed [matters of] substance," Agus told reporters.
