Puan Questions Prabowo Over Respecting PDIP as Opposition: Our Criticism Is Constructive

Puan Maharani, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and also the chair of the PDIP’s Central Executive Board, expressed thanks and praised President Prabowo Subianto’s statement that respects PDIP’s current position as the only party outside the government. She confirmed that PDIP’s support for the government will be carried out in constructive ways. ‘Of course we greatly appreciate that the support and what PDIP Perjuangan does will always be performed in the ways that we will always pursue,’ she said at the parliamentary complex on Thursday (21/5). ‘So the criticisms are constructive criticisms that build, not criticisms that are negative, but rather provide positive input,’ she added. She also noted that PDIP’s position in the DPR as the largest faction by seats is not relevant. In her view, the number of seats is not a matter of winning or losing. The daughter of the party’s General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri stated that PDIP’s stance toward the government would always be a strategic partner through constructive criticism. ‘This is not about one versus seven, but rather the input we provide is input to offer something constructive,’ she said. Prabowo concluded his close to two-hour speech in the DPR plenary by mentioning PDIP’s position as the only party outside the government. He acknowledged from the outset a desire for all political parties to join his coalition; however, he judged that such a condition would not be good for the sustenance of democracy. Prabowo argued that democracy still requires an opposition to maintain checks and balances in the governance process, and therefore he respected PDIP’s stance. ‘I understand that PDIP sacrifices to stay outside the government; I understand that, and I actually want to say thank you to PDIP,’ Prabowo said in a speech at the DPR plenary, Jakarta, Wednesday (20/5).