Budiman Sudjatmiko Calls The Meeting With Prabowo Not A PDIP Representative

PDIP politician Budiman Sudjatmiko (right) with Gerindra Chairman Prabowo Subianto (ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya)

PDI-P politician Budiman Sudjatmiko said his meeting with the General Chair of the Gerindra Party DPP Prabowo Subianto did not represent the party, but based on his personal wishes.

"I want to say that this does not represent a party, this is private," Budiman told reporters after holding a closed meeting at Prabowo's residence, Jalan Kertanegara, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 19.

Budiman explained that his meeting with Prabowo discussed the relationship between the two that had been established since Prabowo had not become the General Chair of the Gerindra Party and before Budiman joined the PDI-P.

"Incidentally, before I entered the PDI-P, I had a story and had a history as well. Before Pak Prabowo became chairman of Gerindra and before reading the presidential candidate, we already had a story-story, we discussed that," he said.

He also revealed that the meeting, which lasted for approximately two hours, talked about nationality, humanity, and the future.

"We are surpassing our status issues. We can talk about nationality, we can talk about humanity, we are talking about the future," he added.

Nevertheless, Budiman said he would discuss the results of the meeting with the Chairman of the PDI-P DPP Puan Maharani and PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto.

"Regarding later, of course, I will talk to Mbak Puan, Pak Hasto, because if I may convey the permit to Pak Prabowo, which I conveyed to him earlier, is actually the unity of nationalists," said Budiman.

Regarding the nationalist's unity, Budiman said Indonesia would lose money if the nationalists did not support each other. Therefore, Budiman wants to donate himself to disburse relations among nationalists.

"I don't represent the party, I'm not a public official, precisely because I'm nobody, I donated myself, started to disburse it. Hopefully after this melts," he said.

One of the activists in 1998 also dismissed that his meeting with Prabowo was a signal that he joined Gerindra. "Oh, no," said Budiman.