Megawati Issues Internal Letter Explaining PDIP's Role as Balancing Party

PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has issued an internal letter explaining the party’s position as a balancing force to President Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Cabinet coalition. The letter, signed by Megawati on 1 July 2026 and numbered 1275/IN/DPP/V/2026, is titled ‘Explanation of the Chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan Regarding the Position of PDI Perjuangan as a Balancing Party in the Constitutional System of the Republic of Indonesia’. The letter’s existence was confirmed by DPP PDIP Chair Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

In the letter, Megawati wrote that the party’s position as a balancing force was first conveyed during the VI PDIP Congress in Badung Regency, Bali Province, on 1 August 2025. At that time, she stated that Indonesia, which adheres to a presidential system, does not recognise the terms opposition and coalition. ‘Indonesian democracy is not a democracy of power blocs, but rather a democracy based on popular sovereignty and constitutional supremacy,’ Megawati wrote.

Under this position, Megawati explained that the continuity of government is not determined by majority support in the House of Representatives (DPR). She noted that a president cannot be removed simply because of a loss of political support in parliament, except through the impeachment mechanism. ‘This differs from a parliamentary system, where the government is formed by a party or coalition majority in parliament and must continuously maintain parliamentary confidence,’ she said.

Megawati explained that her party’s stance as a balancing force is also in line with the thinking of Giovanni Sartori in his book ‘Parties and Party Systems: A Framework for Analysis’ (1976). Sartori, she noted, introduced the concept of responsible opposition, which posits that an opposition should not merely reject and criticise but must also bear responsibility for the continuity of the governing system. Through this understanding, Sartori criticised irresponsible opposition, which makes rejection and criticism of the government an end in itself without considering the consequences for national stability and public welfare.

‘On the basis of constitutional understanding, historical experience, and this theoretical foundation, PDI Perjuangan uses the term ’balancing party’,’ Megawati stated. She added that politics must not merely be a tool for seeking power and office, but rather an instrument for maintaining a healthy, civilised democracy with social justice. According to her, PDIP will continue to support government policies that favour the people, and vice versa. ‘PDI Perjuangan, as a balancing party, does not position itself as a force that rejects the government a priori,’ she said.