The recent warm exchange between House Speaker Puan Maharani and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo underlined an internal division within the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) over how the party should position itself toward the incoming government of president-elect Prabowo Subianto, analysts said.

Since its hattrick win in February’s legislative election, the PDI-P has not confirmed whether it will become an opposition party or join the next ruling coalition in the upcoming administration. A series of mixed messages among the PDI-P elites since the announcement of Prabowo’s decisive victory reflects the party’s internal struggle in navigating the post-election landscape.

Puan, the daughter of former president and PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, was spotted conversing and smiling with President Jokowi at the welcoming dinner before the 10th World Water Forum in Bali on Sunday evening.

It was the first time the two politicians shared a moment together since the February presidential election, which saw Jokowi–who ran for the nation’s highest office on a PDI-P ticket–and the party that has nurtured him, grow apart.

Jokowi has been estranged from the PDI-P since he declined to support the party’s presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo. The biggest blow to the decade-long relationship came late last year when Jokowi let his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka run as the running mate to Ganjar’s rival, Prabowo.

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"We had a lot of private conversations, and as you can see from our faces, President Jokowi and I were smiling," Puan said on Monday, but stopped short of disclosing the content of their discussion.

Puan's decision to maintain cordial relations with Jokowi contrasted with other PDI-P elites who have been outspoken in accusing the President of tampering with the electoral process and attempting to establish a political dynasty through his sons and son-in-law who have now stepped into politics.

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