Jakarta. Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri was absent from Prabowo Subianto's presidential inauguration on Sunday, as were the losing presidential candidate pair nominated by her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) despite VVIP invitations from the organizer.

Megawati’s absence was due to health reasons after she returned from recent overseas trips, said her daughter, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani.

"Madame Mega sent her greetings to Mr. Prabowo and on her behalf I extended her apology [for not attending the ceremony] and congratulations on his inauguration,” Puan said at the legislature complex after the event.

“She was unfit after the recent trips.”

PDI-P executive and former presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo posted a video on his X account, showing a clip of an intimate moment with Prabowo and encouraging his supporters to move on.

“I congratulate Mr. Prabowo on his inauguration as president. It’s now time for us to move on. Indonesia belongs to all of us and its future is determined by goodwill and hard work from good citizens, not by never-ending spats,” Ganjar said in the video.

“We must respect differences to achieve our common goals, namely the creation of a prosperous nation and a just government for all citizens wherever they live.”

Ganjar was reportedly in Bali to attend a PDI-P event during the inauguration ceremony.

His running mate, Mohammad Mahfud MD, also went to X to explain why he couldn’t honor the invitation from the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) for the inauguration.

“I was supposed to prepare myself for the presidential inauguration at the MPR this morning. However, I suddenly had to visit my mother in Surabaya. I have told MPR leaders about my absence. My mother is 94 years old and may Allah keep her healthy,” he wrote under a photograph of himself holding his mother’s hand.

Prabowo’s other rivals, former presidential candidate Anies Baswedan and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar were present at the inauguration ceremony.

Muhaimin was among more than 100 candidates for the Prabowo cabinet to be announced later today.