The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 09/30/2009 1:16 PM | Headlines
The current People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) concluded its five-year term at its final plenary session Tuesday, sparking debate as to who will lead it next.
Mahfudz Siddiq, the chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) at the House of Representatives, said after the closing session that his party would nominate the current MPR chairman Hidayat Nurwahid for a second term.
Although his party was still seeking political support from other parties for Hidayat's renomination, it had gained approval from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at an informal meeting, Mahfudz said.
The PKS, securing 57 of the 560 House seats, has signed a coalition contract with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, which gained 148 legislative seats in the April 9 legislative election.
Together with other parties that secured seats in the House - comprising the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) - the Democratic Party-led coalition has secured more than 50 percent of seats at the legislative body.
"So far we haven't established communications *on Hidayat's renomination*, but we have had an informal meeting with Pak *Yudhoyono*, during which the latter mentioned Pak Hidayat Nurwahid as the *next* MPR speaker," Mahfudz said.
"Our political contract *with the Democratic Party* clearly mentions Hidayat Nurwahid as the next MPR speaker," he added.
Mahfudz said the PKS would also propose secretary-general Anis Matta as the next House speaker, and lawmaker Mustafa Kamal as the next chairman of the PKS at the House.
Hidayat's move to preserve his top post at the MPR, however, has been facing a strong challenge from Taufik Kiemas, the chief patron of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which secured 94 legislative seats at the MPR.
PDI-P secretary-general Tjahjo Kumolo said earlier that the party had received support for Taufik's candidacy from the Democratic Party.
Tjahjo said Democratic Party chairman Hadi Utomo had conveyed the party's support for Taufik at a recent meeting with PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also Taufik's wife.
"We hope all parties in the MPR will support Pak Taufiq," Tjahjo said as quoted by Antara, adding that his party had been organizing meetings with other parties to garner support for Taufik's nomination.
Besides Hidayat and Taufik, outgoing Regional Representative Council (DPD) chairman Ginandjar Kartasasmita has also been nominated for the MPR's top post.
Tuesday's plenary session saw Hidayat reading a report of the assembly's five-year performance, without the presence of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who was attending an international conference in the US.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla and several Cabinet ministers represented the government in the MPR's 2004-2009 session.
No comments:
Post a Comment