The Golkar Party politician said that Puan, who is a former lawmaker who currently serves as a government minister, met all the requirements to take over his role in the legislative body.

“I believe that Puan can easily lead the House [...] considering her experiences as the coordinating minister [for human development and culture],” Bambang said during a party event.

Since Puan is a member of the ruling party that has backed President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, he said the relationship between the House and the government would improve with her as speaker.

“There will be no more disputes between the House and the government,” he said.

The government was often at loggerheads with the House during Jokowi’s first term in office. The period was marked by a low number of bills passed by the lawmakers and frequent changes of House speakers.

Bambang is the third Golkar politician to become House speaker in the last five years, making it the most tumultuous House period in its history. Bambang succeded fellow Golkar politician Setya Novanto, who has been jailed for graft.

Setya, who was also Golkar Party chief, was appointed speaker at the beginning of the House period, but he was later replaced by Ade Komarudin following a long battle over the tax amnesty bill in the House.

Bambang said several challenges awaited Puan if she gets appointed speaker.

“Because later we had to revise the law on the laws making procedures that she should continue. I hope she could complete it and finish it faster,” he said.

The daughter of PDI-P’s chairwoman made her debut in the legislature in 2009. Three years later, she was appointed to be the PDI-P faction chairwoman, replacing party secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto.

In 2014, Puan also won the most votes of any PDI-P candidate in that year’s legislative elections. Within one month of her inauguration as a lawmaker, she was appointed to a senior Cabinet post.

Other political parties in the ruling coalition, including the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the NasDem Party, have expressed support for Puan for the House speaker post.

Puan is expected to take over the position uncontested because of the amendment of the Legislation Institutions (MD3) Law stipulating that the post is granted to the political party that wins the most seats in the legislative
elections.

The law also mandates that four deputy speaker posts are allocated to the four other political parties with the largest number of votes.

Those were Golkar, the Gerindra Party, NasDem and PKB.

Puan said she is ready to be nominated for the House post, but the final call would be made by her mother.

“Thank God I’ve secured the largest number of national votes [in April legislative election]. So I’m among strongest candidates for the position, but only one among other contenders. Politics is very dynamic,” she said.

PDI-P is to hold a national congress on Aug. 8 when the party is expected to name an executive leader who is to run daily party duties under the supervision of Megawati. Puan and her half brother Prananda Prabowo have been touted to become candidates for the position.

Many believe that Puan would succeed Megawati in the 2020 national congress when Megawati is expected to step down, making her a stronger candidate than her brother. Speculation is rife that she is to be named the party’s deputy chief in the August congress, in an apparent move to bring her closer to the party’s top post.

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