Jakarta. The national gathering of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) commenced on Friday without the attendance of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, an unusual occurrence given the significance of the event and the President's strong influence in the party until recently.

Confirmed days earlier, Jokowi and his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, were not invited. Both have distanced themselves from the party since Gibran secured the vice-presidential nomination from a rival party and subsequently won the election.

"They are no longer part of the PDI-P extended family," said Djarot Saiful Hidayat, head of the steering committee, at the meeting venue at Beach City International Stadium in North Jakarta. "Our invitations were restricted to party members, academicians, members of civil societies, and pro-democracy activists."

An official from the State Palace’s press bureau noted that Jokowi was on an official trip to Yogyakarta earlier on Friday.

The gathering, themed “Truth Will Prevail,” features nearly 5,000 participants, including PDI-P members and guests such as former Vice President Try Sutrisno. The main agenda includes evaluating the party’s performance in recent elections, consolidating resources, finalizing strategies for the upcoming gubernatorial, mayoral, and regent elections, and preparing for the party’s national congress next year.

Sources indicate that the PDI-P gathering will likely decide its stance toward the incoming government of President-Elect Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Gibran, determining whether the party will position itself as an opposition force.