Significance of Prabowo-Megawati Meeting: Analyst: An Enhanced Reunion of Old Friends

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Political analyst from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Adi Prayitno, stated that the meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the fifth President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (19/3/2024) was akin to a reunion between old friends. Moreover, Prabowo and Megawati had previously run as a pair in the 2009 presidential election, although they lost to SBY-Boediono. Adi suspects that Megawati came to the Palace because she was unable to attend Prabowo’s meeting with former presidents and vice presidents two weeks prior. Therefore, Adi said, this meeting indicates that relations between Prabowo and Megawati are on good terms. “Because some time ago when Prabowo invited former presidents, Megawati was unable to attend, and today this is the delayed meeting,” he explained. “This meeting reaffirms the good relations between Prabowo and Megawati,” Adi added. The moment of the meeting was also shared by Prabowo via his Instagram account @prabowo today. “On the 29th day of the month of Ramadan ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 H, I received the fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ibu Hj. Megawati Soekarnoputri, at Merdeka Palace,” Prabowo stated in his post. Prabowo said that the meeting with Megawati was an occasion for reunion. From Prabowo’s post, the meeting between the two was accompanied by the Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives and Chairman of the PDI-P Central Executive Board, Puan Maharani, and the Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives and Daily Chairman of the Gerindra Party, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad. Moments of closeness were also evident when Prabowo welcomed Megawati’s arrival. The intimacy was clearly visible when Prabowo held Megawati’s hand as she entered Merdeka Palace.