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House ethics council divided over sanctions against Setya
Under pressure: House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto (right) talks with his fellow lawmakers after providing a testimony with regard to his alleged ethics violation at the House ethics council last week
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Under pressure: House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto (right) talks with his fellow lawmakers after providing a testimony with regard to his alleged ethics violation at the House ethics council last week. (thejakartapost.com/Wienda Parwitasari) (right) talks with his fellow lawmakers after providing a testimony with regard to his alleged ethics violation at the House ethics council last week. (thejakartapost.com/Wienda Parwitasari)
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span class="inline inline-center">Under pressure: House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto (right) talks with his fellow lawmakers after providing a testimony with regard to his alleged ethics violation at the House ethics council last week. (thejakartapost.com/Wienda Parwitasari)
More than a half of the 17 House of Representatives ethics council members agreed that House Speaker Setya Novanto was guilty of committing an ethics violation. However, with concern to the level of his violation, it was suggested that the Golkar Party politician should only be sentenced with a moderate sanction.
Ethics council opinions on the Setya case were conveyed during a hearing at the House ethics council room in Jakarta on Wednesday evening.
'Setya has clearly violated the code of ethics. Thus, it's proper for him to receive a moderate sanction,' House ethics council deputy chief Junimart Girsang said in the hearing.
Junimart, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), was one of nine House ethics council members supporting a moderate sanction for Setya. The eight others were Darizal Basir and Guntur Sasono from the Democratic Party, Risa Mariska (PDI-P), Maman Imanul Haq from the National Awakening Party (PKB), Victor Laiskodat of the NasDem Party, Sugiman and Ahmad Bakrie of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Sarifuddin Sudding of the Hanura Party.
In contrast, six House members argued that a heavy sanction would be more appropriate for Setya. Those members in favor of a heavy sanction were M.Prakosa (PDI-P), Dimyati Natakusumah of the United Development Party (PPP), Adies Kadir and Ridwan Bae of Golkar Party and both Supratman Andi Agtas and House ethics council deputy chief Sufmi Dasco Ahmad of Gerindra Party.
The two remaining House ethics council members continue to await their time to convey a stance with regard to the case. The hearing for Setya case began at 3:45 p.m., three hours later than was initially scheduled.
Separately, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said that the Presidential Palace were paying close attention to the hearing process for the Setya case at the House ethics council on Wednesday evening.
He said that it would not be a surprise if the council were to impose sanctions on the House speaker as it was obvious that he had committed ethics violations.
Pramono said the council must also have calculated the significant attention that the public had shown towards the case involving the alleged misuse of the names of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
He further said that despite its special attention to Setya case's hearing, the government would not intervene in the ongoing process.
Both moderate and heavy sanctioning could lead to the dismissal of the lawmaker from his position, both as House speaker and member.
'This illustrates that the expectations of the public could well be adopted and interpreted by the House ethics council members,' said Pramono as quoted by kompas.com. (ebf)
