Old faces back in residence at House

Old faces back in residence at House

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Old faces and party executives are assured of seats in the House
of Representatives as the manual counting of ballots cast in the
April 5 polls in several electoral district has been completed.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator
Sumaryoto, who currently chairs House Commission IV for
infrastructure and settlement affairs and the party's deputy
leader Gunawan Wirosarojo, who represent Central Java electoral
districts 4 and 5, were among politicians who retained their
legislative seats.

Legislator Hajriyanto Thohari of the Golkar Party will also
spend another five years in the House, so will Prosperous Justice
Party (PKS) legislator Mutamimul Ula.

Golkar won another House seat from Central Java 5 electoral
district through Suharsoyo, a close aide of Golkar Party leader
Akbar Tandjung, while the National Mandate Party (PAN) secured a
seat through Marwoto Mitrohardjono, an adviser of PAN leader
Amien Rais. National Mandate Party (PKB) politician Mufid Rahmat,
who leads the Nahdlatul-Ulama-affiliated Anshor Youth Movement,
will also sit in the House.

On Friday, the General Elections Commission (KPU) had finished
and approved the results of manual counting of six electoral
districts: Bali, Yogyakarta, Central Java 1, Central Java 7,
Central Java 10 and East Java 1.

Most of the seats went to old faces, including Alvin Lie and
Djoko Susilo of PAN, Muhaimin Iskandar and Khofifah Indar
Parawansa of PKB, Sutjipto of PDI-P and Slamet Effendy Yusuf of
Golkar.

The Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) had earlier projected
that 27 percent or some 150 of 550 of the seats available would
be filled by the House's current legislators, mostly from major
parties.

The KPU has so far determined the appropriation of 50 House
seats, with 17 confirmed for PDI-P, eight for both Golkar and the
PKB, six for PAN, five for the Democratic Party, three for the
PKS, two for the United Development Party (PPP) and one for the
Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB).

In the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, the Provincial
General Elections Commission (KPUD) approved the results of
manual ballot counting. However, the announcement was marred when
representatives of political parties walked out over alleged
flaws in the counting process.

Separately, in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, the
local KPU also endorsed the results of manual ballot counting,
which saw Golkar secure 77 percent or 4.2 million of the total
5.4 million votes counted.