Megawati Absent Due To Illness, PDIP: Don't Want The Inauguration To Be Disturbed If Present Then Cough-Flu

PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri. (doc PDIP)

JAKARTA - The 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri did not attend the inauguration of Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta.

However, the chairman of the PDI-P (PDIP) DPP Ahmad Basarah emphasized that the absence of the PDIP General Chair was not because he did not want to attend. Megawati is currently suffering from cough and flu.

Megawati's declining health condition, according to Basarah, has been experienced after her visit to Uzbekistan. In fact, Megawati had the flu while attending the doctoral session of the PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto two days ago.

Thus, Megawati decided not to attend the inauguration ceremony because she did not want to interfere with the conduciveness of the activity.

"Mrs. Mega does not want the procession of the presidential inauguration to take place so solemnly for the Indonesian people if she is present in that room, then coughs and flu and so on," Basarah told reporters at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Sunday, October 20.

Basarah believes Prabowo understands the reason for Megawati's absence from the inauguration. Moreover, Megawati has instructed all PDIP cadres in the legislature to attend the inauguration ceremony.

"As a form of constitutionalism, Mrs. Mega, I as Chair of the PDIP faction was instructed to ensure that all members of the PDIP faction were present to make this presidential inauguration a success," Basarah explained.

"Even Mrs. Mega has issued a prohibition instruction for all members of the PDIP faction to go abroad, especially out of town, with the intention that they must attend and make Pak Prabowo's inauguration a success today," he added.

Currently, Prabowo and Gibran are officially inaugurated as Presidents of the Republic of Indonesia after reading their oath of office at the MPR RI plenary session.

A number of previous Presidents were also present, including Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Try Sutrisno, Jusuf Kalla, and Boediono. The wives of the previous President of the Republic of Indonesia also represented the presence, namely Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid and Soraya Hamzah Haz.