Jakarta (ANTARA) - The fifth president of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka in Central Jakarta on Sunday morning due to health issues.
Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Ahmad Muzani, stated that the chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was still recovering from fatigue following her trips to Russia and Uzbekistan in September 2024.
"Madam (Megawati) has decided to rest as she is feeling unwell due to the flu. Through chairman of the PDI-P faction at the MPR, Ahmad Basarah, she regrettably informed this news to us, (about her) deciding to take a rest," he told the media at the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on Saturday.
Muzani added that the former president has instructed all 110 PDI-P members serving as national legislators not to miss the inauguration of the 8th president and 14th vice president.
"We are honored by her instruction and are thankful to Madam Mega for her decision," he said, hoping that Sunday's event will run smoothly.
After wrapping up her activities in Russia, Megawati embarked on a visit to Uzbekistan, where she made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Al-Bukhari and received an honorary doctorate from Silk Road University in Samarkand.
Muzani, who is currently serving as secretary-general of the Prabowo-led Gerindra Party, also confirmed that the planned pre-inauguration meeting between Megawati and Prabowo is likely to be canceled due to the former's health.
"We pray for Madam's speedy recovery so that she will be able to carry out her activities again," he remarked.
However, the MPR Speaker did not rule out the possibility of a post-inauguration meeting between the two national figures, noting that Prabowo will try to schedule the long-awaited meeting.
The presidential inauguration will begin at 10 a.m. local time at the Nusantara Building of the Parliamentary Complex this Sunday (October 20).
