JAKARTA: Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto’s first meeting with Megawati Soekarnoputri since his inauguration has sparked questions on whether the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will eventually join the ruling coalition, say experts. 

Analysts told CNA that while that is still too early to tell, the meeting emphasises that the “lines of communication are still open” and that both parties have their own respective interests which they would like to secure.

'”The meeting can be interpreted, directly or indirectly, as an effort to secure their own interests, both on Mega(wati)'s side and Prabowo's,” Agung Baskoro, a political observer from political research and consulting company, Trias Politika Strategis, told CNA. 

The meeting was confirmed by a senior official from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party who posted photos of the meeting on his social media accounts on Tuesday evening.

“Weaving unity for our Indonesia,” Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Gerindra’s executive chairman wrote on X.

Local media reported that the one and a half hour closed-door meeting was held at Megawati’s residence at Jalan Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta, without the presence of any officials from PDI-P or even Gerindra, despite Prabowo reportedly arriving accompanied by some high-ranking executives of his party.

Dasco however declined to comment when asked by reporters on Tuesday evening about whether PDI-P would join the ruling coalition after the meeting. 

Asked about what was discussed, Dasco said the two senior politicians mostly spoke in private. 

“What’s clear is they discussed the future of Indonesia and how to work together for the country’s development,” Dasco was quoted as saying on Tuesday by local news outlet Jakarta Post.

“The relationship between Prabowo and Megawati has always been good and friendly … both leaders shared their thoughts on how to navigate the current global situation as Megawati has dealt with crises before so her experience is valuable,” Dasco added, describing the meeting as a warm-hearted Eid al-Fitr gathering. 

Prabowo's predecessor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reportedly expressed his approval of the meeting.

On Tuesday night, the former president said that a meeting between Prabowo and Megawati could lead to peace in the country's politics.

"The meeting (between Prabowo and Megawati) is good, for the good of the country. A meeting is always better than no meeting," he said, as quoted by Antara News.

Local media also reported that Prabowo gifted the former president a parcel containing fresh vegetables and fruit, including large tomatoes which are said to be Megawati’s favourite. 

The PDI-P chairwoman was reportedly among several recipients who received fruit and vegetable hampers as an Eid gift from the president.

Megawati’s PDI-P party is the country’s largest party in parliament and is the only major party that has not joined Prabowo’s Advance Indonesia Coalition.

Talks about the meeting have been stalled several times, including earlier this year after Megawati’s trusted aide, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto, was arrested for bribery by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Megawati’s party regarded the arrest to be politically driven.

Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Indonesia Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute Julia Lau told CNA that the meeting had “long been planned” and a significant gesture was when Prabowo’s only son Didit Hediprasetyo visited Megawati on Eid al-Fitr on Mar 31. 

“(It is) a sign of respect and likely conveying the desire for the Prabowo-Mega meeting,” she told CNA. 

Some analysts also posited that the meeting confirmed that both parties have their own respective interests, with Prabowo hoping to strengthen his coalition while Megawati sought to ensure the upcoming PDI-P congress would unfold in her favour.

“Prabowo knew very well that he was unable to govern with a great power like PDI-P as an opposition to his administration,” Visiting Fellow from ISEAS, Made Supriatma, told CNA.

“Prabowo is on the back foot regarding public opinion and has his hands full with domestic and now external worries so he would not want to have difficult relations with PDI-P nor Megawati,” Lau told CNA, referring to the sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. 

This is also agreed with by Agung and Ray Rangkuti, Director of Lingkar Madani (LIMA) organisation, who both emphasised that Prabowo needs unity within his parliament to address various issues. 

“Certainly, one of the most important things is cooperation within the parties in parliament,” Ray told CNA. 

Ambang Priyonggo, Assistant Professor of Political Communication at Universitas Multimedia Nusantara, posited that Prabowo choosing to visit Megawati at her residence instead of Megawati visiting him at the palace carries a “symbolic” meaning that PDI-P is still considered a political force that needs to be reckoned with. 

As for Megawati, analysts posited that her priority is for the upcoming PDI-P congress to run smoothly. While it remains unclear when it will be held, the congress will determine the new party leadership for the next term. 

The new leadership, according to Agung from Trias Politika, must later be ratified by the government’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights, with the ministry having the authority to reject the results of the party congress, especially if there is internal conflict over power struggles.

Without the ministry’s approval, the party will not have legal standing and cannot operate as an official political party, including participating in elections. 

ISEAS’ Made highlighted that the upcoming congress explains why PDI-P “does not dare to be too tough on Prabowo”. 

“PDI-P does not want government intervention through the military and police during the congress. PDI-P knows that the authorities can exploit factionalism within the party, that is what it is worried about,” Made told CNA. 

The second meeting between Megawati and Prabowo is expected to take place during the upcoming PDI-P congress, according to Agung, who said that the tradition of congresses by major political parties is to provide an opportunity for the president to deliver a speech. 

COULD PDI-P JOIN PRABOWO’S COALITION?

While the meeting is a sign of improving relations, ISEAS’ Lau said that PDI-P may not make any “significant moves” until after its party Congress. 

Agung and Made meanwhile said that it is unlikely for PDI-P to join the coalition government led by Prabowo or even join the Cabinet, which Prabowo hinted at reshuffling. 

“Jokowi’s people are still in power and the issue of Jokowi is something very disturbing to PDI-P as the criminalisation of its secretary-general Hasto Kristianto was reportedly engineered by Jokowi,” Made told CNA.

In February, KPK formally arrested Hasto, charging him with bribing an election official and obstructing justice. PDI-P had claimed that Hasto was targeted by the country’s anti-graft agency for his criticisms of former president Jokowi in last February’s presidential election, which the KPK has denied. 

Among other things, Hasto criticised a Constitutional Court ruling that allowed Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka to run for vice-president, pairing with Prabowo.

Jokowi, along with his son Gibran and son-in-law Bobby Nasution, were officially expelled from PDI-P in December last year for “openly going against the party’s decision to back its presidential pair” and instead “supporting the rival pair from the KIM (Prabowo’s Advance Indonesia Coalition)”. 

Prior to the souring relationship, Jokowi is known to have relied on the PDI-P as his political vehicle when he became the mayor of Surakarta, governor of Jakarta and a two-term president with the support of party chairwoman Megawati. 

Made also highlighted that the the power struggle within PDI-P, between a more pragmatic faction led by Puan Maharani, Megawati’s daughter who serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a more ideological faction led by her half-brother and Megawati’s son Prananda Prabowo. 

The Prananda faction hopes for PDI-P to become the opposition as they consider Prabowo's administration as an extension of Jokowi’s, said Made. 

“Megawati stands between the two factions but she tends to lean towards Prananda, who assists her in managing PDI-P on a daily basis,” Made told CNA. 

But to ensure the smooth running of the upcoming congress, PDI-P is reluctant to openly become an opposition party.

With the meeting held, Ray said that even if PDI-P becomes an opposition it is likely “to be a moderate opposition, not a hardline opposition”.