Puan: PDI-P Congress to be Held Soon After Party Technical Guidance

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The schedule for the VI Congress of the PDI Perjuangan has not been officially set. The Chairperson of the DPP PDI-P, Puan Maharani, signaled that the congress will be held as soon as the technical guidance activities for PDI-P faction members from across Indonesia are completed on July 31, 2025.

"God willing, after the technical guidance, we will have news (about the congress schedule)," said Puan when answering journalists' questions after giving a briefing at the opening of the technical guidance at the Bali Beach Convention Center, Sanur, Denpasar, Bali, Wednesday (30/7/2025).

The training attended by more than 3,000 members of the DPR, provincial DPRD, and district/city DPRD across Indonesia is part of the party organization consolidation program and will continue until July 31, 2025.

The meeting of thousands of cadres this time has sparked speculation that the technical training will be followed by a congress, considering that the plan to hold the PDI-P Congress has been postponed several times since April 2025. The participants present are also the holders of voting rights in the congress.

The public is eagerly awaiting the congress as it is said to be an important momentum for PDI-P. PDI-P Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri is reported to utilize it to determine the party's stance towards the Prabowo Subianto administration.

Puan emphasized that the decision regarding the implementation of the congress is still awaiting guidance from the party's highest leadership. "We do not know yet; we will wait for further instructions from the party's DPP," she stated.

When asked again whether the congress will be held on August 1, 2025, a day after the closing of the training, Puan simply replied, "As soon as possible, God willing."

Meanwhile, former PDI-P politician Budiman Sudjatmiko stated that the opportunity for PDI-P to join the government is always open. According to him, from the beginning, there have been no obstacles from President Prabowo to collaborate with PDI-P. The relationship between President Prabowo and Megawati is also said to be very good.

"As far as I know, Mr. Prabowo wanted to invite the PDI-P from the start. Mr. Prabowo has never had a problem with it," Budiman said in a special interview with Kompas for the Gercep podcast program at the Kompas Gramedia Building, Jakarta, Tuesday (29/7/2025).

Being in opposition is not forbidden in a democracy, but it is also not forbidden to unite.

However, the decision to join or not is entirely in the hands of the internal PDI-P. "Because, you see, the decision is within the PDI Perjuangan party itself. I cannot comment on it as I am no longer a party member. That can be asked to the PDI Perjuangan management," he said.

Regardless of that, Budiman considers the unity between PDI-P and Gerindra to be a strategic matter for Indonesia. He stated that amid the geopolitical situation that has the potential to trigger global conflict, the unity of patriotic political groups has become a historical necessity.

"If we look at the bigger picture, I think the answer is that," he said.

Budiman reminded that the idea of unity was something he had conveyed directly to Prabowo in July 2023 when he was still a member of PDI-P and visited Prabowo's residence.

"It seems that Indonesia needs to unite better today so that we can be cohesive. The plane is experiencing turbulence, and if many passengers are tweeting and making various noises, it can disturb the pilot's concentration," he stated.

While supporting unity, Budiman emphasized the importance of checks and balances in a democracy. "Being in opposition is not forbidden in a democracy, but unity is also not forbidden," he said.

According to him, although the majority of parties support the government, there remains space for the opposition. However, considering the track record of PDI-P thus far, he believes there is no reason for PDI-P to reject many of Prabowo's strategic programs.

As a former cadre of PDI-P who has long studied the thoughts of Bung Karno, Budiman sees that Prabowo's ideas align with the thinking of his father, Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, as well as Bung Karno, which form the foundation of PDI-P's ideology.

"I would say 50-50, Soemitro Djojohadikusumo and Bung Karno are in Pak Prabowo," he said.

Senior researcher from the Political Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Lili Romli, believes that based on the recent statements from several PDI-P elites, there are indeed signals that PDI-P will position itself as a "strategic partner" of the government without formally joining the cabinet. The choice to remain outside the government will be a breath of fresh air for civil society and democracy activists.

"This kind of stance will certainly bring relief to civil society and democracy activists. It could also garner support from PDI-P cadres at the grassroots level," he said.

Internally, the PDI-P is still divided between those who want to join and those who want to remain outside the government and become the opposition.

He emphasized that the PDI-P's move to assume an opposition role is crucial for democratic life. In addition to maintaining checks and balances to oversee government operations and prevent abuse of power, the decision will also serve as an example of political propriety amidst elite pragmatism and opportunism.

"The public is disappointed with the attitude of the elites like that. Therefore, with PDI-P taking the path of opposition, which is inherently part of PDI-P's DNA, it certainly represents an oasis for the public amidst the aridity of political decorum," said Lili.

Nevertheless, the public is said to still be waiting for a firm stance from PDI-P with a sense of anxious anticipation. According to Lili, the internal dynamics of the party are one of the contributing factors.

"Within the internal PDI-P, there is still a division between those who wish to join the government and those who prefer to remain outside as the opposition. Moreover, the fact that the relationship between Mrs. Megawati and Mr. Prabowo is quite good has led to this concern," he stated.

Lili added that the public hopes that the good relationship between Megawati and President Prabowo does not automatically lead to political cooperation in the government. "Friendship should be maintained well, but it does not have to result in joining the government," she said.

He emphasized that political parties are an important instrument in upholding and safeguarding democracy. Therefore, the public hopes that PDI-P will consistently take on that role.

"If that is done, history will record it in golden ink that PDI-P remains steadfast and consistent despite the temptations of power," said Lili.