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