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Taufik Kiemas, chief of the PDI-P’s consultative board, right, talking to Prabowo Subianto as chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri looks on. (Photo: Antara)

Megawati Gets PDI-P Green Light

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle gave its chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri full power during its national leadership meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday to decide whether or not to accept the results of the presidential election.

PDI-P secretary general Pramono Anung on Wednesday said that the meeting resulted in six recommendations that effectively gave the former president complete power over the party, also known as the PDI-P.

“The national meeting decided to give up all decisions to our chairwoman, who was also our presidential candidate, to take strategic steps in dealing with any political situations and our party’s policies in the future,” Pramono said.

Hasto Kristianto, the secretary of the presidential campaign for Megawati and running mate Prabowo Subianto, said the decision meant that all PDI-P cadres would bow to any decision issued by Megawati, “including to accept or reject the results of the election.”

The Election Law dictates that all participants of the polls must sign the results of the election, issued by the General Elections Commission (KPU). The signature means the candidate accepts the election results, although a refusal by the PDI-P or Prabowo’s Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) to approve the results would not prevent the new government from being sworn in.

Megawati, who has so far declined to concede, has a reputation as a poor sport, making headlines around the world for her behavior after she was unseated as president in 2004 by Yudhoyono. She refused to attend her former cabinet minister’s swearing-in ceremony.

Megawati on Wednesday would not comment when asked if she would accept or reject the results of the latest presidential elections, in which quick counts awarded her around 30 percent of the vote, about 10 percentage points more than the number she was expected to garner.

“Just wait for the next scene,” Megawati said, adding that any decision would involve input from throughout her party.

Meanwhile, Antara reported that the PDI-P deemed that April’s legislative elections breached a number of principles, including fairness, honesty, independence and openness.

The party has long criticized the KPU for its perceived closeness to rival parties and for its flawed final voters list.

Puan Maharani, Megawati’s daughter and heir apparent to the PDI-P throne, has said that the errors in the list cost the party the election.

Antara also reported that the meeting urged the government and the KPU to be accountable for any problems related to the elections .

“We still respect the law and the election process and have decided that any complaints must be settled through a legal approach first,” Pramono said.

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