REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR -- President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo attended the opening ceremony of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) national congress in Bali on Thursday (9/4).
The president arrived at 10:30 a.m. local time at the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel, which was the venue for the opening ceremony of the congress.
Also present during the event were current PDIP Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, Nasdem Party Chairman Surya Paloh, Hanura Party Chairman Wiranto, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasona Laoly.
Besides President Jokowi, Vice President Jusuf Kalla was also present at the opening ceremony.
Earlier, PDIP Deputy Secretary General Ahmad Basarah informed newsmen at the party headquarters here on Tuesday that the congress is expected to reelect its current leader Megawati for another five years.
"The confirmation of Ibu (Mme) Megawati to continue her leadership as PDIP's general chairperson for the next five years will realize the principles of dialog in a democratic process and uphold democracy," Basarah emphasized.
He noted that the decision to reelect Megawati as the next PDIP general chairperson was made at a national working meeting in Semarang, Central Java, in September 2014.
"The proposal was then first put forth by President-elect Joko Widodo and was supported by participants of the meeting," he added.
The proposal was later adopted as one of the meeting's decisions and introduced to all board members at the sub-district, district, and provincial levels.
As the decision to name former president Megawati, who is also the daughter of Indonesia's first President Soekarno, for the 2015-2020 period has been supported at all levels, the mobilization of support from cadres and organization has been completed, he remarked.
According to Basarah, at the congress in Bali, the PDIP will just confirm Megawati's position as the party's next general chairperson.
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