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AKARTA: Two political parties walked out of a House plenary session on Friday in which legislators gave the green light to a widely criticized plan to construct a new office building at the House complex in Senayan.

The two parties were the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). They walked out of the session after House deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, who chaired the session, allowed no more time for interruptions and pounded his gavel to end debate on the controversial plan.

PDI-P party chief Tjahjo Kumolo said his walk-out was in protest at the session chair’s decision to carry on with the plan without taking into account the rejection by two parties of the new building, whose construction budget is worth more than Rp 1 trillion.

Gerindra party secretary Edhy Prabowo said the session was no longer effective because it concluded without listening to the people’s opinions. — JP