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corewin casino Indonesia swears in ‘Ultraman’ and other MPs, as House Speaker’s re-election hints at stronger Prabowo coalition
JAKARTA: Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri’s daughter Puan Maharani was elected House Speaker for a second term on Tuesday (Oct 1), as Indonesia swore in 732 members of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) for a five-year term.
The assembly comprises 580 members from the House of Representatives (DPR) – the more powerful lower chamber – and 152 members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), also known as the Senate.
The DPR is tasked with drafting new laws, approving the national budgets and overseeing the executive branch, while the upper chamber represents the country’s 38 provinces, focusing on regional issues.
Mdm Puan won unanimous support after being nominated by her party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which won the legislative elections in February with nearly one-fifth of parliamentary seats.
Her re-election is significant in a House dominated by party members who are part of incoming president Prabowo Subianto’s coalition.
The PDI-P remains the only party that has not indicated if it will serve as the opposition or join Mr Prabowo’s coalition, which now commands an 81 per cent supermajority in the DPR.
News outlet The Jakarta Post reported that Mdm Puan’s re-election without significant objection raises speculation of the latter scenario.
Her mothercorewin casino, PDI-P matriarch Mdm Megawati, is expected to meet with Mr Prabowo before the presidential inauguration on Oct 20 to discuss the possibility of joining his grand coalition.
Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto (left) and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. (Photos: CNA/Danang Wisanggeni).