PDI-P House chairmanship

PDI-P House chairmanship

JAKARTA: Legislator Roy B.B. Janis was elected chairman of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction in the
House of Representatives on Friday, replacing Arifin Panigoro.

Janis's election ended the long-delayed leadership reshuffle
within the faction, which is a major contributor to the internal
bickering that the nation's largest political party is well known
for.

Panigoro, an oil tycoon, enjoys the support of party chair
Megawati Soekarnoputri. His political opponents demanded his
resignation after the Attorney General's Office declared him a
suspect in a corruption case.

Roy was elected at a faction plenary meeting attended by only
87 of the party's 149 representatives in the House after Panigoro
refused renomination.

Initially, the meeting's agenda was to discuss internal
matters before the House goes into recess next week. Several
legislators managed to force their demand that they vote for a
new chairman.

Under the party's internal rules, the faction chairman will
become a deputy chairman on the party's board of executives.

Roy will be inaugurated by Megawati after she returns from the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shanghai. -- Antara