Megawati Tells Prabowo: PDIP Will Remain Outside Government

PDIP chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has recounted that she directly told President Prabowo Subianto that PDIP would remain outside the government.

Megawati said she personally visited Prabowo to thank him and to state that PDIP would serve as a balancing party.

“I came, I spoke politely, I said I would not accept any offer to join. ‘I will not enter the cabinet, Sir, thank you very much. I will remain outside as a balancing force,’” Megawati said at the BPIP event on the exposition of state archival source documents on Monday (10/8).

For that reason, Indonesia’s fifth president said she regretted the criticism levelled by some parties against her party’s decision.

“I said balancing force, then someone said, ‘What kind of balancing force?’ These buzzer types never read anything. Well, of course, why shouldn’t I say that?” she remarked.

Megawati reiterated that, as a country with a presidential system, Indonesia does not recognise the terms opposition and coalition. She expressed hope that those criticising her party’s decision would read the relevant material carefully.

“Why am I always accused of being in opposition? Is there such a thing in a presidential system? There is no opposition, there is no coalition. Please read up on it if you don’t believe me,” she said.

“‘Mother Megawati can speak so calmly because she is in opposition.’ Goodness, if I argue with them they don’t understand, and if I fight back they get angry. That is what you call a parliamentary system, isn’t it?” she added.