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House to see smooth comeback of controversial Setya
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Staunch supporters: Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto (left) and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri shake hands at the latter’s house on Jl. Teuku Umar in Central Jakarta on Sunday. The two leaders have reaffirmed their support for non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in the Feb. 15 election despite his status as a suspect. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
G
olkar chairman Setya Novanto is likely to face little resistance to his return as speaker of the House of Representatives despite the plan being rejected by bigwigs on the party's ethics council.
Questioning the party's decision to return Setya to the House's top position by replacing fellow party member Ade Komarudin, the ethics council, led by former Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie, has sent an official letter to the House asking the chairmanship to reconsider the plan.
However, House Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah said that the request would change nothing as the letter had no legal standing.
"The letter we received is an internal matter. It contains no legal considerations for us at the House to take," Fahri said Monday.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician emphasized that "basically nothing will hamper Setya's return [as House's speaker]".
Setya resigned from the position in December last year following an investigation by the House ethics council into an alleged ethics violation after then energy and mineral resources minister Sudirman Said reported Setya for allegedly requesting shares from PT Freeport Indonesia. The scandal was dubbed Papa Minta Saham (Daddy Wants Shares).
The Constitutional Court later cleared him of all charges.
The House is expected to announce Golkar's decision on Setya's reappointment in a plenary meeting slated this week for final approval. (evi)
