Jakarta. The upcoming Indonesian Independence Day ceremony on August 17 will take place in two locations: Jakarta and the new capital, Nusantara (IKN) in Kalimantan. 

"President Joko Widodo will lead the ceremony in Nusantara, and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin will lead in Jakarta," said Chief Cultural Affairs Minister Muhadjir Effendy after a preparation meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

He said that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin would be accompanied by the newly elected President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the ceremonies at each location.

In addition, Jokowi has requested that national figures be invited to attend the independence ceremonies.

"(The invitation for former presidents) is still being proposed. Earlier, the President recommended inviting national figures to both Jakarta and Nusantara. The list is not finalized yet and may be split between the two locations. This includes ceremonies at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery and the Nusantara Memorial," Muhadjir explained.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP), Yudian Wahyudi, said that former presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would be invited due to their service.

"Yes, former presidents will be invited. In principle, figures who have contributed significantly to the nation's independence and service over the years will be invited," Yudian clarified.

Megawati and her party, PDI-P, endorsed Jokowi in the 2014 and 2019 elections, but their relationship turned sour in 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.

As the first family began to distance themselves from PDI-P, many expected that PDI-P would take on the role of the opposition.