He then expressed his disapproval of comments disparaging Megawati Soekarnoputri, the 5th president of Indonesia and the first woman to hold the post in the country.
At an event held to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the Gerindra Party at the Sentul International Convention Center (SICC) here on Saturday, he said that the contributions of the previous presidents, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, deserve appreciation.
"I admit that Mrs. Mega has many contributions and successes for this Republic. I do not like it when anyone tries to speak badly about Mrs. Mega to me because I understand what she has done for this Republic," he added.
Prabowo then advised his party members to respect and recognize the good aspects of leadership.
All leaders entrusted with the task of governing Indonesia have strived to do their best to ensure the nation's prosperity, he said.
Each leader, in their own time, played a different role and complemented each other, he added while comparing nation-building to the process of building a house.
"Soekarno built the fence, Soeharto built (the house), and so on, Mr. Habibie, Mr. Gus Dur continued (the building)," he said.
The task was continued by Megawati Soekarnoputri and then Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who led the country for 10 years while facing various crises ranging from natural disasters and conflicts to financial crises.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the 7th president, Joko Widodo, who designed sustainability programs to boost people's welfare.
"They have done their best for the Indonesian people. Let us not forget these virtues. For the shortcomings, we must learn so that we can improve," Prabowo said.
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Translator: Livia K, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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