Megawati Highlights Rising Food Prices

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson and former President Megawati Soekarnoputri has highlighted the rising prices of goods felt by the public. She made the remarks after inaugurating the renovation of Istana Gebang and a statue of Bung Karno in Blitar on Monday, 15 June 2026. Megawati cited the example of chilli prices, which have reportedly reached Rp180,000 per kilogram in several regions. Addressing thousands of party cadres and sympathisers gathered in the grounds of Istana Gebang, Megawati acknowledged that the prices of basic necessities are soaring. However, she reminded them that in voicing complaints about economic policy, the public and party members must understand the proper procedures and ethics within the constitutional legal system, especially as PDI-P is currently outside the government. “I know prices have gone up. But I also know the procedures. I am not in the government. I will convey it, but to whom? To the DPR through the PDI-P faction,” she asserted. Beyond consumer-level price hikes, Megawati expressed concern for the fate of farmers as the nation’s backbone. Drawing lessons from Marhaenism, she stressed the importance of organising farmers to be self-reliant and to achieve food sovereignty. To that end, she reiterated an instruction she issued in 2021 for all party structures to promote the cultivation of 10 food crops as rice alternatives to prevent the threat of famine. She also recalled Bung Karno’s fundamental message that the people’s food security is an absolute priority to prevent unrest. Amid her critique of economic conditions, Megawati specifically stated she is not an enemy of President Prabowo Subianto, pointing to their closeness during the Pancasila Day commemoration on 1 June to dispel any attempts to pit them against each other. “Pak Prabowo and I are friends. But we must separate friendship from politics for the sake of democratisation. I am not his enemy; he is my friend,” she said.