Hasto Detained, Megawati Instructs PDI-P Regional Heads Not to Join Retreat

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDI-P has called on all party members and the broader party family to remain calm in responding to the detention of PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto by the Corruption Eradication Commission. PDI-P has not appointed an Acting Secretary-General. PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri is directly taking command of the party.

Not only that, the Chairperson of PDI-P, Megawati Soekarnoputri, also instructed all regional heads and deputy regional heads from PDI-P to postpone their travel to the regional heads' retreat event in Magelang, Central Java, from February 21-28, 2025. If they are already en route to Magelang, the regional heads are asked to stop and wait for further instructions from the Chairperson of PDI-P.

The Chair of the Honorary Division of the Central Leadership Council (DPP) of PDI-P, Komarudin Watubun, stated during a press conference at the DPP PDI-P Office in Jakarta on Thursday (20/2/2025) that following Hasto's detention, the General Chair of PDI-P, Megawati Soekarnoputri, did not appoint an Acting Secretary-General of PDI-P. All party commands are fully held by the General Chair of PDI-P.

"The general chairwoman did not appoint an Acting Secretary General. The command is controlled directly by the General Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri," said Komarudin.

The press conference was attended by Hasto's legal team, including Ronny Talapessy, Maqdir Ismail, and Todung Mulya Lubis. Also present were several PDI-P elites, namely Komarudin Watubun, Ganjar Pranowo, Sukur Nababan, Deddy Sitorus, Adian Napitupulu, and Ribka Tjiptaning.

After being questioned since Thursday morning (20/2/2025), the KPK detained Hasto Kristiyanto. Hasto has been named a suspect in a bribery case involving the management of DPR members for the 2019-2024 period and obstruction of the investigation into the same case.

At the same time, this serves as a guideline for all cadres and supporters of PDI Perjuangan, all of whom remain on alert, awaiting a single command from the chairperson of PDI Perjuangan.

Komarudin continued, PDI-P is used to facing pressure. However, Megawati emphasized that her party still has a long breath. "The PDI Perjuangan network is asked to remain calm, to remain prepared to face the worst situation," said Komarudin.

Megawati also advised all cadres not to talk about Hasto's legal case. All cadres were asked to act according to Megawati's command.

"At the same time, this is a guideline for all PDI Perjuangan cadres and sympathizers, all remain on alert waiting for a command from the PDI Perjuangan general chairman," said Komarudin.

Not stopping there, in response to Hasto's detention, Megawati also issued the latest instructions to all regional heads and deputy regional heads from PDI-P. They were asked to postpone their trip to the regional head retreat in Magelang, on February 21-28, 2025.

"If you are on your way to Magelang City, stop and wait for further instructions from the General Chairperson," said Megawati as per the instruction letter to regional heads and deputy regional heads of PDI-P, obtained by Kompas.

In the instruction letter, regional heads are expected to remain in active communication and stand by commander call.

Meanwhile, in a press conference, Ronny Talapessy said, Hasto's detention is a political detention. For PDI-P, this is a new chapter as an attack on the party.

"This arrest proves the information that the Secretary General of PDI Perjuangan, Hasto Kristiyanto, was indeed targeted to be detained before the Party Congress. Why was he targeted? Because the role of a secretary general is very important in a political party organization," said Ronny.

The PDI-P Congress is planned to be held in April 2025. Ronny believes that Hasto's detention is part of a political operation to disrupt the party. There is no urgency to detain Hasto.

"Secretary General Mas Hasto Kristiyanto has always been cooperative and we are also still following the pretrial process. If the reason is to run away, Mas Hasto will not go anywhere and is always obedient and comes whenever summoned. As the party's secretary general, he is also busy working on many party agendas, including preparing for the Congress. So it is impossible for him to run away," said Ronny.

Ronny regretted that the legal action taken by the KPK against Hasto occurred in the middle of Hasto's pretrial process. He assessed that the KPK investigators did not heed the pretrial process even though the South Jakarta District Court (PN) had scheduled a trial, and had even determined the judge who would try this case.

He cited the provisions of Article 82 of Law Number 8 of 1981 concerning the Criminal Procedure Code, which states that if in the pretrial process the pretrial judge decides that the detention of the suspect is unlawful, then the suspect must be released.

"So in the pretrial process, the suspect may not be detained without permission from the pretrial judge. And if the pretrial judge decides that the suspect's detention is unlawful, then the suspect must be released," said Ronny.

On that occasion, Ronny also said that his party would continue to follow the entire pretrial hearing process that had been scheduled at the South Jakarta District Court. Previously, the PDI-P Legal Team had again submitted two pretrial case files related to the determination of Hasto as a suspect.

"We will continue to follow the pretrial motion because the pretrial motion mechanism is our legal right, and the South Jakarta court has scheduled a trial for March 3," said Ronny.