Moments Before Megawati Announces and Considers Her Decision to Appoint Hasto as PDI-P Secretary General

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The reappointment of Hasto Kristiyanto as the Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDI-P for the third time came as a surprise to the party's cadres.

The decision was made directly by the Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri without the knowledge of the cadres; however, it can be understood as it was based on strategic considerations, ranging from personal trust to political conditions and external situations that were deemed unusual.

The inauguration of Hasto for the 2025–2030 term took place at the DPP PDI-P Office in Jakarta, Thursday (14/8/2025). The moment of naming Hasto occurred spontaneously during the inauguration event of the DPP officials who had not yet been inaugurated at the V Congress in Bali, early August 2025.

The Deputy Secretary-General for Communication of PDI-P, Adian Yunus Yusak Napitupulu, recounted that initially, all ranks were unaware of who would fill the position of secretary-general. The name Hasto was only mentioned by Megawati when the Deputy Secretary-General for Secretariat, Yoseph Aryo Adhi Dharmo, inquired directly.

"In the paper that Mas Adhi read, the position of the Secretary-General was still empty, without a name. Then Mas Adi and Mas Nanan (Prananda Prabowo, the Chairman of the DPP who is also the son of Megawati) asked Mother Megawati. 'What about the Secretary-General?' Then Mother Megawati replied briefly, 'Yes, Mas Hasto,'" explained Adian.

He revealed that the moment happened quickly. "Surprise, surprise for me. Because I didn't know. Indeed, earlier it was conveyed by the General Chair, we were silent for maybe 3-4 seconds, then we all stood up and applauded," he said.

He believes that many other administrators are also unaware of Megawati's decision. This is because the formation of the DPP structure is entirely in the hands of the General Chair.

"If I were to say I was surprised, then yes, I was surprised, because I also did not know. The friends above, in my opinion, also do not know. However, we believe that what the General Chair has decided is the best for PDI Perjuangan, for the people, and certainly for Indonesia," said Adian.

According to Adian, Megawati briefly explained several considerations when reappointing Hasto. Among them were related to the party's needs, accelerating consolidation, and ensuring that all cadres engage at the grassroots level.

On that occasion, Megawati also requested her cadres to document and record the people's issues, ranging from rice prices, taxes, to other problems, to be discussed and sought for solutions.

"Of course, there are many diverse considerations, but the conclusion is one: the General Chair trusts Mr. Hasto. There are certainly many other considerations. However, it is that trust that led the General Chair to directly appoint Mr. Hasto, and that was after being asked by Mr. Adi," said Adian.

When met separately, the Head of the Government and Regional Autonomy Division of PDI-P, Ganjar Pranowo, also stated that none of the administrators knew who was appointed as the secretary general during the inauguration.

"It was indeed quite an interesting atmosphere, because at the time it was announced, the secretary general was not present. Then, someone asked, 'So, what about that one?' Well, it was announced, who was it? No one knew. Then you mentioned, 'Well, it was Hasto.' Then Hasto stood up, and he was inaugurated together. It all happened quite quickly," said Ganjar.

Ganjar stated that Megawati did not provide detailed reasons for choosing Hasto again. However, prior to the inauguration, Megawati gave an extensive briefing to the management regarding the national political situation.

"The external situation is also changing. This is an unusual political situation. Turbulence is occurring, and I believe all political parties understand this situation. Therefore, I think you have considered the situation carefully," said Ganjar.

Meanwhile, senior researcher at the Political Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Firman Noor, assessed that Hasto plays a crucial managerial role for PDI-P, which ultimately led to his reappointment as secretary-general. He is considered successful in organizing the party from a disorganized state to obtaining ISO 2000 certification related to management.

"Hasto has historically built his career in this party from the ground up. I suspect there is an irreplaceable managerial dependency. Other figures in the management are indeed not management figures with the capacity and experience to manage a party as large as PDI-P," said Firman.

Firman assessed that Hasto's reappointment also serves as a symbolic message that the PDI-P provides space for cadres who are considered still worthy to contribute, despite having previously been involved in a case.

"There is a symbolic resistance that this person can still be regarded as someone who has political rights. The PDI-P is not easily dictated regarding this matter, with the hope that after (Hasto) is in the position of a defendant according to the version of the KPK, at least the structure of the party's management can be easily restructured," he said.

He added that the effort to defend Hasto could also maintain the internal party "status quo" amid indications of factional competition. This is important to restore solidarity after the 2024 Election showed a decline in votes for PDI-P and losses in several stronghold areas.

"Indeed, that is where the crucial aspect of Hasto becomes more pronounced. What is important is to be solid first. Once solid, improvements will be easier," said Firman.

Regarding the possibility of Hasto's legal case being brought up again and impacting the party's image, Firman considers this to be a dilemma. However, as long as Megawati remains in leadership, he believes that such ripples will not arise significantly.

"If it is PDI-P, as long as Megawati is still in charge, then it is settled. When this has become the desire and command of Mrs. Mega, I believe there will be no ripples at all. Her position in the party is very absolute," he said.