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JAKARTA (Rambu Energy) – The upper house People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) is dominated by pro-Prabowo Subianto coalition parties after they secured a narrow margin win during MPR chairman election in early morning.
After long-debate and failed to reach consensus, the MPR members finally opted to appoint new MPR chairman and deputy chairmen through voting.
The MPR members were asked to vote Option A or Option B. The voting result shows that the option B of MPR chairmanship, proposed by the pro-Prabowo coalition parties, won by margin of 17 votes.
Option A: Proposed by ruling parties (Great Indonesia Coalition)
– MPR Chairman: Osman Sapta Odang (the Regional Representative Council/DPD)
– Deputy Chairman: Ahmad Basara (the Indonesian Democratic Party/PDIP)
– Deputy Chairman: Iman Nahrowi (Awakening Party/PKB)
– Deputy Chairman: Hasrul Azwar (United Developmnt Party/PPP)
– Deputy Chairman: Parice Rio Capella (National Democratic Party/Nasdem)
Option B: Proposed by pro-Prabowo or Red-and-White coalition
– Chairman: Zulkifli Hasan (National Mandate Party/PAN)
– Deputy: Mahyuddin (Golkar Party)
– E.E. Mangindaan (Democratic Party/PD)
– Hidayat Nur Wahid (Prosperous Justice Party/PKS)
– Osman Sapta (DPD)
The option A won by 347 votes and option B secured 340 votes, meaning that the upper house is now dominated by the red-and-white coalition after earlier dominated the lower house, the House of Representative (DPR).
The MPR plenary and voting session were broadcast live by a number of private televisions.
After the announcement of the final result, Zulkifli Hasan, who is also former Forestry Minister was seen approached Puan Maharani of PDIP to shake hand and called for unity in the upper house.
The ruling parties failed to win majority of votes although the United Development Party (PPP) joined them in last minute. Some legislators said that PPP and DPD members blamed lack of cohesiveness on part of DPD and PPP as reasons behind the failure.
Some observers expressed concerned that the domination of pro-Prabowo coalition in the lower and upper house could cause instability as the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla government programs could be blocked by the Parliament. Some even said that the domination of the pro-Prabowo coalition could pave way for the legislators to impeach Joko Widodo, the President-elect. (*)