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Oesman Sapta elected to lead DPD
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New speaker: Hanura Party politician Oesman Sapta Odang. (Antara/Jessica Helena Wuysang)
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fter a dramatic day-long plenary session, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) on Tuesday elected by acclamation Hanura Party politician Oesman Sapta Odang as its new speaker, ignoring a Supreme Court ruling that states the council’s previous speaker and deputy speakers should serve until 2019.
Oesman, a DPD member from West Kalimantan, replaced Muhammad Saleh. Nono Sampono and Darmayanti Lubis were elected deputy speakers to replace Farouk Muhammad and Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas.
“[The plenary session] has elected Oesman Sapta Odang as speaker, Nono Sampono as first deputy speaker and Darmayanti Lubis as second deputy speaker,” said the council’s acting speaker Rini Damayanti early on Tuesday.
In its ruling, the court annulled DPD Regulation No. 1/2016, which reduces the tenure period of the council speaker and two deputy speakers from five years to two-and-a-half years.
The court also annulled DPD Regulation No. 1/2017, which stipulates that the 2016 regulation is valid for the DPD leadership board in charge for the 2014-2019 period.
Constitutional experts earlier warned that if the DPD disobeyed the court’s ruling, the institution would have violated the law.
The three DPD leaders were elected at 2 a.m. on Tuesday after members on the council, which was divided into two camps, engaged in intense debate. Indeed, there was even a brawl during Monday’s plenary session.
The first camp wanted to cancel the speakership election and follow the court’s ruling.
An opposing camp wanted instead to push for the election and claimed that the court's ruling, which was supposed to be final and legally binding, was not applicable due to several editorial errors.
It was later revealed that the court had revised the errors. The second camp was dominated by DPD members who joined with the Hanura Party led by Oesman.
The party is currently chaired by Oesman. Besides chairing the party and the DPD, Oesman is also a deputy speaker in the People's Consultative Assembly.
Oesman was not present during the long debate session but appeared 45 minutes before he was elected. "I and the two new deputy speakers will do our best to serve the council and develop the nation," he said. (ebf)
