Council speaker reelected despite fervent protest<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Maj. Gen. Edy Waluyo from the military faction
\nwas reelected on Monday as the City Council's speaker in a
\nplenary session which was marked with protests from dozens of
\nsupporters from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
\nPerjuangan).<\/p>\n
Edy secured 40 votes while his three rivals: Djafar Badjeber
\nfrom the United Development Party, Tarmidi Suhardjo from the PDI-
\nPerjuangan and M. Suwardi from the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\ngot 30 votes, nine votes and zero vote respectively.<\/p>\n
Five votes were invalid.<\/p>\n
Djafar, Tarmidi and Suwardi will automatically become Edy's
\ndeputy speakers.<\/p>\n
According to the council's internal rule, four biggest
\nfactions in the council have the right to nominate their
\ncouncilors as the council's leaders.<\/p>\n
PDI-Perjuangan have 30 seats in the council, PPP and PAN have
\n13 seats respectively while the military faction have nine seats.<\/p>\n
Upon seeing the small votes secured by Tarmidi, dozens of PDI-
\nPerjuangan's supporters approached the party's councilors and
\nyelled at them.<\/p>\n
\"You are traitors. People's cheaters,\" A. Mas'ud Tamsidi who
\nclaimed himself as the party's Senen district chapter
\ncoordinator, shouted emotionally.<\/p>\n
Mas'ud pledged to deploy his supporters on Tuesday to the city
\ncouncil to demand the reelection of the council's speakers.<\/p>\n
The party's Tugu Selatan chapter head Abdul Malik was very
\nupset with the result of the election, saying that he would ask
\nthe party's councilors' responsibility.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi left the council's building under a tight security
\nsince the supporters still tried to approach him to deliver their
\ndissatisfaction.<\/p>\n
The party's Jakarta chapter chairman Roy B.B. Janis who
\nattended the plenary session as a guest refused to give his
\ncomments over the vote results.<\/p>\n
The session which was scheduled to be opened at 10 a.m. was
\nadjourned in one hour since councilors from PDI-Perjuangan came
\nlate.<\/p>\n
The council's provisional leader Supangat then gave a chance
\nfor leaders of the council's 11 factions to discuss the election
\nof the council's four leaders.<\/p>\n
The election was then conducted in one man one vote and secret
\nsystem according to the internal rule since the factions could
\nnot reach agreement to choose speaker without voting.<\/p>\n
Councilor Abdul Aziz Matnur from the Justice Party claimed
\nsatisfied although his candidate Djafar, who was nominated by the
\nAxis force (Poros Tengah), lost.<\/p>\n
\"It showed that we are solid. We are consistent with the
\nreform movement by not giving our votes to Edy Waluyo,\" Aziz
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on PDI-Perjuangan's move which gave 21 of
\ntheir votes to Edy, Aziz said that public now could evaluate the
\nreal parties that truly support the people's reform movement.<\/p>\n
However, he said that he accepted the result, saying that it
\nwas conducted in democratic way.<\/p>\n
He said the Axis forces in the council consist of five
\nparties: PAN, PPP, Justice Party, and the national Awakening
\nParty (PKB) and the Crescent and Stars Party (PBB).<\/p>\n
Djafar from PPP also accepted the result and respected the
\nreelection of the 54-year-old military general as the council's
\nspeaker for another five-year term. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/council-speaker-reelected-despite-fervent-protest-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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