Dems get new ethics council secretary

Former presidential advisor TB Silalahi has officially replaced Amir Syamsuddin as the secretary of the Democratic Party’s ethics council, a senior party official said on Wednesday.

Amir accepted the position of Silalahi, who previously served as a member of the party’s board of patrons, said Jero Wacik, a member of the party’s ethics council.

Jero said that Amir was replaced because he was busy with his duties as the law and human rights minister.

“These days, our ethics council has so many tasks to conduct while Pak Amir seems to not have enough time since being appointed a minister. Pak Silalahi replaced him because he can work full-time for the council,” Jero, who is also the energy and mineral resources minister, said.

Amir was inaugurated as the law and human rights minister in October last year. He replaced Patrialis Akbar, a senior National Mandate Party member.

Jero said Silalahi’s appointment had been approved by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the party’s chief patron.

Rumors have been circulating that Amir’s sudden replacement was linked to Angelina Sondakh, a Democratic Party lawmaker who has been named a graft suspect.

Reports say Angelina has yet to be dismissed from her position as party deputy secretary-general due to Amir’s reluctance to sign her dismissal letter. The party’s statutes say a central executive board member must be dismissed should he or she be named a suspect.

Jero dismissed this speculation.

Amir was due to hold a press conference to explain his dismissal on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the party’s central executive board office on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta. (nvn)