Sanur, Bali (Antara Babel) - Megawati Soekarnoputri was reelected and installed as general chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) for the 2015-2020 term of office during the fourth congress of the party here on Thursday.
The reelection and inauguration as the PDIP general chairperson was carried out during the first session of the PDIP plenary meeting chaired by Frans Lebu Raya, the PDIP chairman for East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) branch.
The committee has chalked out a schedule wherein the Plenary Meeting I of the Congress will hear an accountability report of the 2010-2015 PDIP leadership, which would then be read by General Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, Acting Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, and Chairperson Puan Maharani.
However, the congress participants simultaneously declared that there was no need to read the accountability report as they all accepted it.
Some even proclaimed their trust for Megawati who had been instrumental in leading the party to victory during the legislative and presidential elections in 2014.
As the congress forum requested that the accountability report should not be read, and the members were ready to accept it, so the chairman of the plenary meeting decided to accept the request after again seeking the audience's confirmation on their acceptance.
With the acceptance of the accountability report, the PDIP's executive board for the 2010-2015 period was declared decommissioned.
Megawati, who was seating alongside the meeting's chairman, was asked to stand up. After an agreement was reached in the congress forum, the plenary meeting chairman re-installed Megawati as the general chairperson of the PDIP for the 2015-2020 term of office.
"Because the national congress and assemblies across all levels have agreed to re-appoint me, I hereby accept this mandate," Megawati affirmed.
Thereafter, she was appointed following an oath-taking ceremony led by Frans Lebu Raya.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) earlier attended the opening ceremony of the PDIP national 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 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, the PDIP will just confirm Megawati's position as the party's next general chairperson during the congress in Bali.
