MPR members to elect speaker

The House of Representatives legislators and members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) are holding a plenary session to elect the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker.

The House and the DPD are at odds over the composition of MPR leadership.

The DPD insists that the MPR leadership comprise five people, with at least two of them from the DPD.

"We believe that regional representation at the MPR must be represented by at least two members of the DPD," DPD Deputy Speaker Laode Ida told reporters Saturday.

Laode said the DPD would nominate former DPD speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita for the MPR speaker post.

As of now, the front runner for the post is Taufik Kiemas, the chief patron of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Taufik’s bid has officially received endorsement from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP) the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Golkar Party.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), however, insists on reelecting Hidayat Nur Wahid as the MPR speaker. (hdt)