Jakarta. Megawati Soekarnoputri, Indonesia's fifth president and PDI-P Chairperson, led the party's 79th Indonesia's Independence Day ceremony in South Jakarta on Saturday, opting to stay in Jakarta rather than attend the national celebration in Indonesia's new capital Nusantara.

Serving as the ceremony’s inspector, Megawati led the hoisting of the Red and White flag. According to Beritasatu.com's observations at the site, Megawati arrived at the ceremony ground at 8:55 a.m. She was greeted by several key party officials, including PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok.

Dressed in PDI-P’s signature red and black attire, Megawati's presence was highly anticipated by the thousands of PDI-P members standing in formation. These members, clad in all-black uniforms with red berets or sashes, symbolized the party's militant spirit.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had extended invitations to all former presidents to attend the Independence Day ceremony at the new capital, Nusantara. However, both Megawati and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) chose not to attend the event in the new capital. SBY, opting to remain in his hometown of Pacitan, East Java, also did not attend the 79th Independence Day celebration.

The strained relationship between SBY and Megawati dates back to 2004, when SBY ran for president. At the time, SBY was serving as the Chief Security Affairs Minister under Megawati's administration. His decision to run for the presidency led to feelings of betrayal on Megawati's part. Megawati’s defeat to SBY in the 2004 Presidential Election further deepened the rift.

Megawati and her party, PDI-P, endorsed Jokowi in the 2014 and 2019 elections, but their relationship soured during the 2024 election after Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto nominated Gibran, Jokowi's oldest son, as his running mate. Prabowo eventually won with the support of Jokowi's voters, while Ganjar Pranowo, the PDI-P candidate, finished last in the election despite leading in the polls beforehand.

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