Megawati Soekarnoputri

Chairwoman (Ketua Umum) — PDI-P

About Megawati Soekarnoputri

Key facts Role: Chairwoman (ketua umum) Organisation: PDI-P Country: Indonesia Sector: Politics & Government Headline figures: 110 of the 580 House seats won in 2024; chairwoman for 2025–2030 Nearly two years into Prabowo Subianto's presidency, one major party still sits outside his governing coalition, and one woman keeps it there. In August 2026 Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said publicly that she had personally turned down Prabowo's offer of cabinet seats. "I will be outside as a balancing force," she said, according to Kompas. She insisted the party was "not the opposition". The party's weight That choice matters because of what the PDI-P holds. In the 2024 legislative election it won about 25.3 million votes and 110 of the 580 seats in the House of Representatives. The Jakarta Post reported that this made it the biggest party in the legislature and entitled it to the speakership under the MD3 Law. Megawati's daughter, Puan Maharani, holds that post. As ketua umum, or general chairwoman, Megawati has the final word on the party's candidates, its coalition choices and its line on legislation. “I will be outside as a balancing force,” — Megawati, according to Kompas Background Her power grows out of Indonesia's founding story. The eldest daughter of Sukarno, the country's first president, she entered parliament in 1987 for the Suharto-era Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and was elected its chair in 1993. After a government-backed move ousted her in 1996, she founded the PDI-P in 1999 and has led it ever since. She served as vice-president from 1999 and as president from 2001 to 2004, the only woman to have held the office. She lost the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections. The party then backed Joko Widodo, who won the presidency in 2014 and 2019,. Keeping control She has kept firm control through the transition. On 1 August 2025 the party's sixth congress in Bali confirmed her as chairwoman for 2025–2030 by acclamation, Detik reported. The day before, Prabowo had granted amnesty to the party's secretary-general, Hasto Kristiyanto, who had been sentenced on 25 July 2025 by the Jakarta anti-corruption court to three and a half years in prison in a bribery case. The amnesty ended the case, and Hasto dropped any appeal. Kompas reported that PDI-P leaders appreciated the decision but rejected suggestions of a political deal, and the party stayed out of cabinet. In July 2026, as coalition parties criticised what they called an ambiguous stance, Megawati set out her position in a letter to members. The Jakarta Post reported that she wrote the PDI-P would "support government policies that serve the people" while offering "criticism and correction" of policies that depart from constitutional norms. She added that "blindly rejecting every government agenda is counterproductive." She also chairs the steering committee of the Agency for Pancasila Ideology Development (BPIP), the state body that promotes Indonesia's founding ideology. President Widodo reappointed her to that role in 2022 for a term running to 2027. Regional weight Her regional weight comes from Indonesia's size. The PDI-P's stance can speed up or slow down legislation, budgets and appointments in South-East Asia's largest economy. What to watch next: how far the "balancing" posture holds as the 2029 elections approach, whether the PDI-P fields its own presidential candidate, and who she lines up to lead the party after her. Her current term runs to 2030. She ranks 17th because, from outside government, she controls the largest party in Indonesia's parliament and what The Jakarta Post calls the only major party outside Prabowo's big ruling coalition. Sources Kompas.com (Tria Sutrisna), Megawati Sudah Sampaikan ke Prabowo, PDI-P Tak Akan Masuk Kabinet , 12 Aug 2026 The Jakarta Post (Yerica Lai), PDI-P reaffirms 'balancing' role amid scrutiny from ruling coalition , 13 Jul 2026 Detik (Dwi Rahmawati), Megawati Terpilih Kembali Jadi Ketum PDIP 2025-2030 , 1 Aug 2025 The Jakarta Post (Dio Suhenda), KPU announces House seats with PDI-P on top, Golkar in second , 26 Aug 2024 Kompas.com (Irfan Kamil), Diberi Amnesti dari Prabowo, Hasto: Terima Kasih Telah Dengarkan Keadilan , 1 Aug 2025 Kompas.com (Irfan Kamil), Amnesti Hasto dan Sikap Politik Megawati... , 3 Aug 2025 Kompas.id, Amnesti bagi Hasto, PDI-P Tepis Ada Politik Transaksional , Aug 2025 CNN Indonesia, Dilantik Jokowi Lagi, Megawati Kini Jabat 3 Posisi Penting , 7 Jun 2022 Wikipedia, Megawati Sukarnoputri

Why this entry is on the list

She ranks 17th because, from outside government, she controls the largest party in Indonesia's parliament and what The Jakarta Post calls the only major party outside Prabowo's big ruling coalition. As ketua umum she has the final word on the PDI-P's candidates, coalition choices and line on legislation, and the party won 110 of the 580 House seats in 2024.