he Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will play the role of “strategic partner” to the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and will work in support of its programs, party politicians have said, dashing hopes for a strong opposition.
The PDI-P had been widely expected to take up an opposition role following its public falling-out with former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, a one-time party member who tacitly supported Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son, in last year’s presidential election.
But PDI-P politician Pramono Anung, who is also Jakarta’s governor-elect, said the party would build a strategic partnership with the Prabowo administration and would support its work despite not being part of the government.
“Bu Megawati also suggested that [the party] will look after the current government well," Pramono, a former cabinet secretary under Jokowi’s presidency, told reporters on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com.
"Despite [the PDI-P] not being in the cabinet, we will certainly be a good strategic partner for the future development of Indonesia," Pramono said.
Highlighting Megawati’s belief in gotong royong (mutual cooperation) as the foundation of the national ideology Pancasila, PDI-P executive Ahmad Basarah said the party would formally remain “outside the government” but had pledged to support the programs of Prabowo.
Basarah said that several days before Prabowo’s inauguration in October 2024, he had been sent by Megawati to relay a message on the PDI-P’s stance on the incoming administration to Gerindra Party secretary-general Ahmad Muzani to be carried on to Prabowo.
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