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.