The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Indonesian:
Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDI-P) is an Indonesian political party,
and the party of the current President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
The PDI-P was founded and is currently led by Megawati
Sukarnoputri, president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004, and daughter of
Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia. Megawati was forced out from the
leadership of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) by the government of
Indonesia under Suharto in 1996. Megawati formed the PDI-P in 1999, after
Suharto resigned and restrictions on political parties were lifted.
The party's ideology is based on the official Indonesian
national philosophy, Pancasila. It is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals
and Democrats and Progressive Alliance.
At the 1993 National Congress, Megawati Sukarnoputri was
elected Chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party, one of the three
political parties recognised by President Suharto's "New Order"
government. This result was not recognised by the government, which continued
to push for Budi Harjono, its preferred candidate for the chairpersonship, to
be elected. A Special Congress was held where the government expected to have
Harjono elected, but Megawati once again emerged as elected leader. Her
position was consolidated further when a PDI National Assembly ratified the
results of the congress.
In June 1996, another National Congress was held in the city
of Medan, to which Megawati was not invited; anti-Megawati members were in
attendance. With the government's backing, Suryadi, a former chairperson was
re-elected as PDI's Chairperson. Megawati refused to acknowledge the results of
this congress and continued to see herself as the rightful leader of the PDI.
On the morning of 27 July 1996, Suryadi threatened to take
back PDI's headquarters in Jakarta. Suryadi's supporters (reportedly with the
Government's backing) attacked the PDI Headquarters and faced resistance from
Megawati supporters who had been stationed there since the National Congress in
Medan. In the ensuing clash, Megawati's supporters managed to hold on to the
headquarters. A riot ensued – at that stage considered the worst that Jakarta
had seen during the "New Order" – which was followed by a government
crackdown. The government later blamed the riots on the People's Democracy
Party (PRD). Despite being overthrown as chairperson by Suryadi and the government,
the event lifted Megawati's profile immensely, providing both sympathy and
national popularity.
The PDI was now divided into two factions, Megawati's and
Suryadi's. The former had wanted to participate in the 1997 legislative
elections, but the government only recognized the latter. In the elections,
Megawati and her supporters threw their support behind the United Development
Party and the PDI won only 3% of the vote. Following Suharto's resignation and
the lifting of the "New Order" limitations on national political
parties, Megawati declared the formation of the PDI-P, adding the suffix
perjuangan ("struggle") to differentiate her faction of the party
from the government-backed faction. She was elected chairperson of PDI-P and
was nominated for the presidency in 1999.
