NTB gets new council speaker

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: A Golkar Party figure was elected as the new speaker of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) legislative council on Thursday, to replace Lalu Serinato, who had been named the province's governor.

Sunardi Ayub won 27 of 54 votes, defeating his two rival candidates -- Rahmat Hidayat from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Anwar M.Z. from the United Development Party (PPP).

Anwar grabbed only 21 votes, and Rahmat, a deputy council speaker, only six votes.

Sunardi's victory overturned previous predictions that Rahmat would win the election.

Deputy NTB Governor Thamrin Rayes hailed Sunardi's election, saying that the voting procedure was smooth and democratic. --Antara