Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto has accused Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri of violating a 2009 political agreement – dubbed the Batu Tulis Pact – that included a point where the PDI-P pledged support for Prabowo's presidential bid in 2014.

"If you're a human being and on my side, what would you do?" Prabowo, who is the leader of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, said on Sunday. "I don't know what my mistake was. I respect her."

Prabowo sought to emphasize that he would move on from the PDI-P's decision to back out of the pact and instead nominate Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as its candidate. He said, however, that he hoped that the party would have informed him in person, according to the state-run Antara news agency.

"I respect Bu Mega," he said. "I want a united Indonesia, that's what I want... I don't understand what kind of [political] dynamic is happening here."

Megawati and Prabowo had previously ran a losing campaign together in the 2009 presidential election. Later, in 2012, they linked up again, as their two parties formed a coalition that helped Joko secure the Jakarta governorship – a move many believed foreshadowed another political partnership for the 2014 presidential race.

The political ties between Prabowo and Megawati soured soon after, however, after Megawati expressed anger with him for supposedly taking credit for Joko's victory in the capital. Members of the PDI-P, meanwhile, have steadfastly denied Prabowo's stance, saying that the agreement was void after their 2009 loss.

"The pact was made on the assumption that the pair would win the 2009 race," Tubagus Hasanuddin, the head of the PDI-P's chapter in West Java, said on Monday. "Since they lost, the agreement was automatically canceled."

Hasanuddin also urged Prabowo to put the dispute to bed. "We, cadres of the PDI-P, will not budge," he said. "We are now focusing on convincing the people to be more understanding and selective in choosing their leaders."

PDI-P lawmaker Eva Sundari echoed the sentiment, saying that political shifts over time were unavoidable. "Anywhere in the world, no coalition is permanent, since elections are uncontrollable and full of surprises," she said. She added that Gerindra should now concentrate on winning the legislative and presidential polls rather than dwell on a broken agreement.

The PDI-P decision to nominate Joko is a profound blow to Prabowo's campaign to win the presidency, which various polls showed was the most likely outcome if he ran in a field that did not include the fiercely popular Jakarta governor.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/prabowo-calls-megawati-breaking-political-pact/