TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsJokowi coalition respects Red-and-White Coalition's victory in MPR speakership race
National Awakening Party (PKB) executive Abdul Kadir Karding has said that his coalition, which is led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), respects the result of the speakership race in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) that was won by the Red-and-White Coalition led by the Gerindra Party
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
N
ational Awakening Party (PKB) executive Abdul Kadir Karding has said that his coalition, which is led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), respects the result of the speakership race in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) that was won by the Red-and-White Coalition led by the Gerindra Party.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Red-and-White Coalition won the vote for MPR speaker, with Zulkifli Hasan, a member of the coalition, elected as speaker for the 2014-2019 period with four deputies, namely Mahyuddin of the Golkar Party, EE Mangindaan of the Democratic Party, Hidayat Nur Wahid of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Oesman Sapta Odang of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). Like Zulkifli, Mahyuddin, Mangindaan and Hidayat also belong to the opposition coalition.
Zulkifli, a 52-year-old Lampung-based former forestry minister, became the MPR's new speaker after his coalition garnered 347 votes, more than the 330 votes received by the coalition led by president-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. The governing coalition proposed Oesman as MPR speaker with four deputies, namely Ahmad Basarah of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Imam Nahrawi of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Patrice Rio Capella of the NasDem Party and Hazrul Azhar of the United Development Party (PPP).
Abdul said that the speakership race, which was conducted from Tuesday morning until dawn on Wednesday, had been conducted in a far fairer fashion than the similar contest in the House of Representatives last week.
He said that the PKB, the PDI-P, the Hanura Party, the NasDem Party and the PPP could accept the result wholeheartedly.
'We appreciate [the result of the plenary session]. Winning the race or not is not a big deal. We hope that the MPR will improve in the future,' he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
Abdul said that he understood that his coalition had lost because many members of the DPD had not voted for them, even though Oesman, a representative of the DPD, had been proposed by his coalition as MPR speaker. However, he insisted he respected their choice, only regretting that his coalition had not lobbied DPD members to the maximum extent.
Abdul also stated his belief that the new MPR leaders would not impede the inauguration of president-elect Joko Widodo and vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla on Oct. 20.
'I am optimistic [that the MPR leaders will not hamper the inauguration]. I know that Pak Zulkifli, EE Mangindaan, Mahyuddin, Oesman Sapta Odang and Hidayat Nur Wahid are wise and good people,' he said. (alz)(+++)
