DPD Speaker: Every Indonesian President is a Statesman

Jakarta (ANTARA) - DPD RI Speaker Sultan B Najamudin has stated that every President of the Republic of Indonesia is a statesman with tangible achievements during their term of office. “Allow us to bow in respect to the nation’s past leaders. Every president of this republic is a statesman,” Najamudin said during his introductory speech at the MPR RI Annual Session and the Joint Session of the DPR-DPD RI in 2026 at the parliamentary complex, Jakarta, Friday. He noted that Indonesia’s first President Soekarno was the Father of Proclamation; the 2nd President Soeharto was the Father of Development; and the 3rd President B.J. Habibie was the Father of Technology. He continued, naming the 4th President Abdurrahman Wahid as the Father of Pluralism; the 5th President Megawati Soekarnoputri as the Heroine of the Constitution; the 6th President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the Father of Peace; and the 7th President Joko Widodo as the Father of Infrastructure. “Every leader has enshrined their historical role. One common thread is always present: stronger regions, an increasingly sovereign Indonesia,” he said. On the occasion, Najamudin expressed appreciation for the government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, whom he described as cohesive and complementary in upholding the nation’s dignity. “Appreciation for various programmes oriented towards national economic independence, amidst the uncertainty of world geopolitical dynamics,” he stated. On Friday, the MPR RI, DPR RI, and DPD RI held the MPR RI Annual Session and the Joint Session of the DPR RI-DPD RI, which included an agenda for President Prabowo Subianto’s speech to deliver the Performance Report of State Institutions and the State Address of the President of the Republic of Indonesia in the context of the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia. In addition to the speech, the government will also screen a video of government performance achievements. This annual session is a state agenda to welcome the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia, which carries the theme ‘A Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia’.