Meeting at the Palace, Prabowo Holds Hands with Megawati
President Prabowo Subianto met with former president and General Chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Soekarnoputri. The meeting between the two took place during the month of Ramadan at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 March 2026.
Through his personal Instagram account, Prabowo shared details of the meeting. “I received the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mrs Hj. Megawati Soekarnoputri, at Merdeka Palace. This meeting continues the rapport among the nation’s leaders,” he stated on his @prabowo account after meeting Megawati.
The Cabinet Secretariat also announced the meeting between the two via its social media account @sekretariat.kabinet on the same day. “On the 29th day of Ramadan ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 H, President Prabowo Subianto received a visit from the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mrs Megawati Soekarnoputri, at Merdeka Palace,” as stated in the caption.
In the photo shared by the Cabinet Secretariat, Prabowo is seen holding Megawati’s hand. The Head of State appeared to guide the woman who was once his running mate in the 2009 presidential election as they descended the steps of Merdeka Palace.
Megawati wore batik-patterned clothing with a blue motif during the meeting. Meanwhile, Prabowo wore a khaki safari suit complete with a presidential pin. Their meeting was held privately.
On this visit, Megawati was accompanied by her daughter, who is also the Chair of the People’s Representative Council from PDI-P, Puan Maharani. Prabowo was joined by the Daily Chairman of the Gerindra Party and Deputy Chair of the DPR, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad. Prabowo’s son, Didit Hediprasetyo, also accompanied his father in the meeting.
According to the Cabinet Secretariat, the meeting between the two leaders was part of familial rapport ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah.
On Thursday, the guest entourage carrying Megawati was seen entering the palace complex around 10:50 WIB. The meeting lasted about two hours. The convoy of vehicles escorting Megawati and Puan was seen leaving the Presidential Palace around 12:50 WIB.
Prabowo had previously invited Megawati to the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. At that time, Prabowo gathered former presidents, vice presidents, and foreign ministers for a discussion.
However, Megawati did not attend the event as she had been out of town since the previous week.
“Mrs Mega was unable to attend because she was participating in a series of long-planned internal events in Bali,” said Deddy Yevry Sitorus, Chairman of the PDI-P DPP, when contacted on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.