“Independence is a golden bridge, as our founding father Bung Karno wrote in his 1933 book ‘Achieving an Independent Indonesia’," Megawati said while serving as ceremony inspector at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P's) Party School in Jakarta.

Quoting the words of her father, the late President Soekarno, Megawati said independence opens two paths --- one leading to prosperity and shared happiness, and the other to suffering and hardship.

“Independence is also the gateway to establishing a nation that is politically sovereign, economically self-reliant, and culturally rooted in our own identity,” said the fifth president.

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Megawati, who chairs the PDI-P, urged citizens and party members alike to take responsibility for steering the nation toward the path of public welfare.

“The choice is in our hands. It is our duty to ensure Indonesia chooses the path of safety and prosperity for its people,” she said.

This year's Independence Day, marking the 80th anniversary of Indonesia’s freedom from colonial rule, carries the theme “United Sovereignty, Prosperous People, Advanced Indonesia.”

Earlier in the day, President Prabowo Subianto led the official ceremony of th country's 80th anniversary of Independence Day at Merdeka Palace. Celebrations across the capital included a flag parade, a reading of the Proclamation text, the People’s Festival, and the Independence Unity Carnival.

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