PDI-P gains two more key posts

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the 11 factions at City Council have agreed to name chairmen for the council's five commissions with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) leading two important ones.

Councilor Iskandar Zulkarnaen Tambunan from PDI Perjuangan said on Thursday that the agreement was reached without a voting process during a meeting the night before between faction leaders.

"Our party got two seats for commission chairman, three for commission secretary and one deputy chairman. I think it's fair since we have 30 seats on council," Iskandar, who is also the chairman of PDI Perjuangan, said.

Two of the city's five commissions to be led by PDI Perjuangan are Commission A for administrative affairs and Commission D for development affairs, he said.

But Iskandar said he still would not be able to announce the names of the party representatives who would lead the commissions since they "are still in the hands of the party's chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri".

The other three, namely Commission B for economic affairs, Commission C for financial affairs and Commission E for social affairs, will be led respectively by councilors Syarief Zulkarnaen from the United Development Party (PPP), Amarullah Asbah from Golkar and Edy Suchro from the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Circulated rumors at City Council said PDI Perjuangan would put councilors Binsar Tambunan and Sayogo Hendrosubroto to lead the two commissions.

Each of the council's commissions has one secretary.

Iskandar said his party could indeed dominate all five seats of commission chairman.

"We could lead all five commissions if we wanted to, but we won't. We still consider the positions for other factions," he said.

Unlike many previous council terms, representatives from the military/police faction will no longer be allowed to lead any commissions since their candidate, Maj. Gen. Edy Waluyo, was elected council speaker.

Leaders of the 11 factions agreed to hold a plenary session on Monday, which will be joined by all 85 city councilors, to choose the city's five representatives for the seats at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Based on the council's seat composition, PDI Perjuangan will get two city representatives while PPP, PAN and the military/police faction will get one seat each.

The military/police faction insisted on Tuesday that it would not nominate a candidate for the Assembly.

Iskandar also refused to comment on rumors that his faction would nominate Megawati's brother, Guntur Soekarnoputra, and a retired army brigadier general to represent the party at the Assembly.

He only confirmed that one of the candidates would be Hobes Sinaga. (jun)