Golkar Party Rejects Reshuffle
Thursday, 11 January, 2007 | 17:02 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Golkar Party has rejected a reshuffle of House of Representatives (DPR) leaders.

Golkar Party General Chairman Jusuf Kalla, who is also Indonesia’s Vice President, emphasized that his party wants only Zaenal Ma'arif to be replaced.

“Just because one person is to be replaced, that doesn’t mean that the others should also be replaced. That's wrong,” he said in Jakarta yesterday (10/1).

What is certain is, according Kalla, Golkar Party will remain neutral in the DPR Deputy Chairperson election.

He also asked that this DPR leader replacement be in accordance with existing regulations.

This DPR leader position replacement arose after DPR Deputy Chairman Zaenal Ma'arif was dismissed from the Reform Star Party (PBR).

Zaenal was elected in the same group as Agung Laksono, Soetardjo Soeryogoeritno and Muhaimin Iskandar.

Although Zaenal has been dismissed from the party, according to DPR Chairman Agung Laksono, so far his status is still that of a DPR Deputy Chairman.

“This will be the situation until a legal opinion is issued by the DPR Secretary General who asks DPR leaders to take action,” he said.

Agung Laksono offered three solutions: an agreement among parties which were in the same group that supported the current DPR leaders; proportional election; or someone selected from the PBR party, to replace Zaenal.

For the time being, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has asked PR leaders to be careful in response to Zaenal's dismissal letter.

According to Tjahjo Kumolo, Chairman of the PDI-P faction in the DPR, leaders must ask for input from all factions in order to fill the post left empty by Zaenal.

However, in principle, said Tjahjo, the DPI-P welcomes a DPR leaders reshuffle if the majority of factions at the DPR actually want this.

ERWIN DARIYANTO | ROFIQI HASAN | SUTARTO | IMRON ROSYID