Dumai council dismisses speaker in plenary session

Dumai council dismisses speaker in plenary session

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Dumai regency legislative council in the province of Riau
dismissed its speaker, Benedi Boiman, amid a veil of secrecy
during a plenary session on Friday.

The dismissal follows a no-confidence motion issued by
councillors against the speaker for failing to bolster "good
relations" between him and other legislators.

"Based on that, we agreed early January to convene a plenary
session today (Friday) to remove Benedi Boiman," Ali Rahman,
secretary of the Golkar faction at the council, told Antara.

He refused to comment on the no-confidence motion.

Ali said most factions, including the two largest ones, namely
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and
Golkar, endorsed Benedi's dismissal.

"Four factions have declared that Benedi Boiman be dismissed.
Therefore, he is no longer the chairman of the Dumai legislative
council," he said.

Only the Indonesian Military/National Police faction abstained
from voting, while the United Development Party (PPP) faction
walked out of the session, he added.

Ali could not say when the council would elect its speaker
after Benedi was forced to relinquish his top post.

Before the council gets its new speaker, the three current
deputies will take charge of the legislature, he said.

Friday's plenary session was closed to the public with at
least 22 of the 25 council members present.