Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The House of Representatives (DPR) on Tuesday rejected a motion for an inquiry into taxation affairs after a vote in a plenary session gave opponents just a two-point lead over the supporters.

"From the 530 House members who were present at the plenary session, 264 supported the motion and 266 rejected it. Thereby, the the House has rejected the initiative," House Speaker Marzuki Ali said in his remarks closing the meeting.

The vote which was held openly had seen all the 145 ruling Democrat Party members give a dissenting vote, the 43 members of government coalition party National Mandate Party (PAN) rejecting and the 26 of another coalition member United Development Party (PPP) also rejecting the initiative.

Another member of the ruling coalition, the National Awakening Party (PKB), with a total 28 seats, 26 had rejected the initiative and the other two accepting it, namely Lili Wahid and Effendi Choirie.

The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party with 26 seats all rejecting the use of the House`s inquiry rights.

The proponent block with two largest parties participating, Golkar party (106 seats) and the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle/PDI-P (84 seats) accepting the initiative.

The plenary session was held to bring to the House`s consultative body a controversial proposal to form an inquiry committee to investigate corruption in the tax office which had been on the national spotlight after the disclosure of tax corruption scandal involving former tax officer Gayus Tambunan. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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