Jakarta – Scores of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politicians who were recently inaugurated as regional heads said they would not join a retreat organized by President Prabowo Subianto this weekend in a show of solidarity to the party's secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto who has been named as a graft suspect on Thursday.
A senior official with the Bali provincial administration said that while all new regents and mayors in the province have left for Magelang, Central Java, to join the retreat, the newly inaugurated Governor Wayan Koster still remained in the capital city Denpasar.
"There's still no decision on whether he would join the retreat or not," head of Bali provincial administration's protocol I Wayan Budiasa was quoted by Antara as saying on Friday.
Senior PDI-P politician Masinton Pasaribu, who was sworn in as Regent of Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, said that he would delay his trip to Magelang, pending a new instruction from the party's chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri.
"For the time being, I will delay my trip to Magelang while waiting for further instruction from Ibu Megawati," Masinton was quoted by Kompas on Friday.
Responding to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) move to detain Hasto on Thursday, Megawati issued an order to all regional heads nominated by the party to skip President Prabowo's retreat in Magelang, a move which could lead to a deterioration in the ties between the two senior politicians.
In recent months, President Prabowo has courted Megawati in an attempt to persuade the party to support some of his administration's signature policies from the free meals program to the formation of Temasek-like sovereign wealth fund Danantara.
In January this year, Megawati offered to Prabowo that her political party could serve as a "partner" for his government.
Separately, newly-inaugurated Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo, also a senior politician with the PDI-P, made no comment when asked if he would cancel his participation in the Magelang retreat.
Pramono was reported to be seeking an exemption from Megawati to be able to join the retreat.