Suherdjoko, Semarang – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)'s national meeting ended one day ahead of schedule on Saturday evening in Semarang with a number of recommendations having been produced.

During the meeting, top PDI-P official Puan Maharani read out some of the recommendations, including that the party support the incoming government of president-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla, who will be sworn in on Oct. 20.

It was also announced during the meeting that party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri would keep her position for the 2015-2020 period which will be made official during the 2015 congress in Bali.

"PDI-P is ready to become a pioneering party that supports the government in its effort to strive for people's welfare," Puan said to a long applause.

She said that the Jokowi-Kalla administration would face problems centering on the economy, food sovereignty, poverty, social gap and education.

"Indonesia is still dependent on imported rice, meat, milk and soybean," said Puan, who is also Megawati's daughter. "In the energy sector, oil and gas prices are skyrocketing while the rupiah is slumping."

In the education sector, the meeting also recommended that the Jokowi-Kalla administration launch a 12-year compulsory education program and boost the teachings of state ideology Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) as well as promote diversity.

The meeting also recommended that the Jokowi-Kalla administration name their Cabinet Tri Sakti, said Puan, chairwoman of PDI-P's political affairs and inter-state institutions relations division.

She also said that the party had urged the Jokowi-Kalla administration to take strict action against the Islamic State (IS) movement and any other hard-line group. (nvn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/21/pdi-p-support-govt-megawati-keeps-position.html