The Megawati-Prabowo Drama

EFFORTS to bring Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) General Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Prabowo Subianto together will not benefit the public. Their relationship, akin to soap opera, is personal and has nothing to do with how to repair democracy. Even if they finally meet, Megawati and Prabowo will only focus on their respective political agendas.

Megawati and Prabowo’s relationship took a turn for the worse after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) apprehended PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto on February 20, 2025. At first, Megawati hoped that her communication with Prabowo would lead to Hasto’s acquittal in the case of bribery of General Election Commission (KPU) member Wahyu Setiawan, and the charge of obstructing investigation. After the KPK detained Hasto, Megawati instructed regional heads from her party to not participate in the retreat at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java.

Let it be clear that any attempts to exempt Hasto from legal process through political lobbying are inappropriate. Hasto’s role in the case involving fugitive Harun Masiku must be investigated and brought to court. He is suspected of bribing a KPU member to make Harun a House of Representatives member through interim replacement. It would be fair to say that Megawati is using her position to release Hasto. Democracy will continue to decline if political intervention in law enforcement is allowed to go on.

However, PDI-P’s counter move by boycotting the regional heads retreat because of Hasto’s trouble with the law was also a misstep. Rejection of the gathering of regional heads would have made sense if the reasoning was wasting state budget and against President Prabowo’s efficiency drive. In the future, it would be difficult to hope the PDI-P becomes a rational party in balancing the government. PDI-P’s position will be heavily influenced by Megawati’s moods.

Even if Megawati decides the PDI-P will support Prabowo’s government, there is a wall between the two, namely, Joko Widodo. When Megawati boycotted the retreat, Prabowo praised Jokowi in front of his supporters. Prabowo even placed Jokowi in the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency’s (Danantara) Advisory Council. Prabowo’s close relationship with his predecessor has put the PDI-P between a rock and a hard place.

The fracture between Megawati and Prabowo makes it difficult to put a stop to the thickening authoritarianism as of late. Competition between the political elite is only continuing because of personal interests. No one is truly fighting for democracy. Particularly because the damage to democratic institutions such as the Constitutional Court and Corruption Eradication Commission has become difficult to repair. These institutions have instead become authoritarian enclaves in support of those in power.

No matter what, Megawati Soekarnoputri cannot sit still as these democratic institutions are destroyed. She said nothing when Jokowi weakened the KPK. Megawati only spoke up when her and her party’s efforts to come into power were disrupted and thwarted by Jokowi. Who knows whether the PDI-P will serve as opposition to Prabowo Subianto’s administration. The public will only be served on various sequels of this low-quality political elite drama.