Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and chairing the DPP\nof the Gerindra Party, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, has responded to President\nPrabowo Subianto\u2019s remarks about the position of the Indonesian\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) outside the government. Dasco said\nthe statement was not mere political lip service but a genuine\nadmission.<\/p>\n
According to Dasco, the President\u2019s remarks constitute respect and\nappreciation for PDIP chair Megawati Soekarnoputri and all PDIP cadres.\n\u2018When we look at it, it comes from the deepest heart. And the words, the\nappreciation for PDIP\u2019s chair Ibu Megawati and for PDIP, that is a\nsincere expression,\u2019 Dasco told reporters at the Parliament Complex in\nSenayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (20\/5). He emphasised that Gerindra and\nthe governing coalition do not take issue with PDIP\u2019s decision to act as\na balancing force, seeing it positively to ensure checks and balances in\nthe constitutional system function properly.<\/p>\n
\u2018Constructive criticism from PDIP in Parliament has also been ongoing\nduring President Prabowo\u2019s administration,\u2019 Dasco added.<\/p>\n
President Prabowo expressed gratitude and respect for PDIP\u2019s\npolitical decision to be outside the government. He said that a healthy\ndemocracy absolutely requires checks and balances. He praised PDIP\u2019s\nmove as a form of political \u2018sacrifice\u2019 to uphold the dignity of\ndemocracy, noting that being outside the government means giving up\nvarious state facilities. \u2018Indeed not all parties here are part of the\ngovernment. And I respect and value that. Our democracy needs checks and\nbalances. I understand that PDIP sacrifices to be outside the\ngovernment. Actually I want to say thank you to PDIP. You have\ncontributed to our democracy,\u2019 Prabowo said during his address at the\n19th Plenary Session of the 2025-2026 Session Year at the Nusantara\nBuilding, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (20\/5). He\njoked that as President, he actually desires a system of gotong royong\nin which all political parties join his administration. \u2018If all parties\nwere in government, how sweet it would be. How sweet it would be for me.\nBut perhaps it would not be good. Every leader must be willing to be\ncriticised, every executive must be supervised. Thank you for the\nsupervision, friends,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n
Earlier, in delivering the Macro Economic Framework and Key Fiscal\nPolicy Principles (KEM-PPKF) for the 2027 RAPBN, President Prabowo\nSubianto specifically acknowledged and thanked the opposition\u2019s role\ntaken by PDIP. While personally hoping for a cabinet comprised of all\nparties, Prabowo acknowledged that the absence of opposition is not\nhealthy for the democratic climate. \u2018Indeed not all parties here are\npart of the government and I respect and value that. Our democracy needs\nchecks and balances. I understand that PDIP sacrifices to be outside the\ngovernment,\u2019 the President said in an excerpt of his speech. \u2018Actually I\nwould like to thank PDIP. You have contributed to our democracy. What I\nwant is gotong royong. If all parties were in government, how sweet it\nwould be. But perhaps not good,\u2019 he said. (Faj\/P-3)<\/p>\n
Chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri of PDIP reaffirmed her rejection of\nthe idea of indirect elections, which she says could erode people\u2019s\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
Megawati also expressed condolences over the Bekasi Timur railway\naccident and called for improvements to the national rail safety\nsystem.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dasco-says-prabowos-praise-for-megawati-and-pdip-is-a-sincere-expression-1779545653", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }