Megawati ready to lead PDI-P until 2020

JAKARTA. Megawati Sukarnoputri, president of Indonesia from 2000 until 2004 and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) since 1998, says she has decided to accept calls from her party members to lead the party until 2020.

“The aspirations have been voiced and the decision was made at party’s recent national leadership meeting. I sincerely accept,” she said in a speech delivered at the party’s 42nd anniversary celebrations in Jakarta on Saturday.

Attending the ceremony were President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a number of Cabinet ministers and leaders of other parties that supported Jokowi and Kalla in the 2014 presidential election.

According to Megawati, 2015 will be a year for the nation’s new leaders to fulfill their campaign promises. “We all understand the problems the nation is facing, they are not small,” Antara quoted her as saying.

Megawati said her biggest concern was conflict between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the police, which, according to her, had put a dent on the nation’s unity and strength.

“The words, the Republic of Indonesia are attributed to their institutional names,” she said.

She said she respected the TNI and the police as state institutions tasked with maintaining security and upholding state sovereignty.

She added that the PDI-P was united by the hope to build a sovereign, independent and pluralist nation from Sabang to Merauke.

The Trisakti ideals had roots in the Pancasila state ideology, she said.

With the ideals, the party came up on top in the 2014 legislative and presidential elections, but this was really a victory for the Indonesian people, who wanted to see change, she said.