Kinanti Pinta Karana – Is the ice beginning to thaw between former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono?

For the first time in years, the two political figures were seen in the same room together. Both attended the commemoration of President Sukarno's June 1 speech on Pancasila, the state ideology, in parliament on Tuesday.

It can be recalled that Yudhoyono served under Megawati's cabinet in 2001 and used to be a trusted aide. Things started to go sour between them when he ran against her for the presidency, beating her in the 2004 and then in the 2009 elections.

Megawati, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), arrived at the event with House of Representatives deputy speaker Pramono Anung.

During his opening speech, Taufik Kiemas, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, acknowledged the presence of the two leaders. "In the audience are a former president and vice presidents of Indonesia, among them Megawati Sukarnoputri, Try Sutrisno, Hamzah Haz and Jusuf Kalla," Taufik said.

Megawati, who was seated next to former Vice President Try Sutrisno, was all smiles upon hearing the audience applauding her name.

Yudhoyono, who spoke after Taufik, then opened his speech by acknowledging Megawati. The mention was again met with another round of applause.

Could Megawati's presence signal the end of her giving Yudhoyono the cold shoulder? Political analyst Alfan Alfian from Jakarta's National University does not think so.

"In my observation, even though Megawati and Yudhoyono were at the same event, it is not a sign that the two political figures are ready to reconcile," Alfan said.

"It was only by coincidence that she had to be there because the event is closely related to her father's role in history," Alfan said, referring to the fact that Megawati is Sukarno's daughter. He added that Megawati's followers would question her if she failed to attend.

According to Alfan, Megawati's attitude toward Yudhoyono had not changed at all.

"They are in the same room, but they don't sit close to each other," he said. "It shows that Ibu Mega is still keeping her distance from Pak SBY. Their seating position reflects that they still have unfinished business. She still hasn't buried the hatchet."

While that may be the case, political kibitzers were given yet another food for thought: At the ceremony's close, Yudhoyono shook hands with Megawati and both exchanged smiles.