The transfer of duties, conducted at a plenary PDIP faction meeting earlier in the day, was intended to allow him to concentrate on his job as PDIP secretary general, Tjahjo told the press after the meeting.
"I have to give full attention to my duties as party secretary general in view of the legislative and presidential elections in 2014," he said.
"For the past three years Puan has accompanied me in leading the House faction and therefore she has enough experience to continue the leadership of the faction while I will concentrate on general party affairs," he said.
The PDIP executive board had also assessed Puan as capable enough to function as House party faction chief, Tjahjo said, adding the change was actually just a matter of rotation of duties.
Puan who is also the daughter of PDIP chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri meanwhile said she had actually been given the assignment since January 13, adding that it was a mere distribution of jobs in running the organization.
She admitted the party needed consolidation, coordination and communication to carry out its political agenda for the 2014 general elections.
She said so far no special efforts were being made within the party to make her a presidential candidate.
"There is no discourse or special agenda behind the rotation much less linking it to her presidential or vice presidential candidacy for 2014. That is the domain of the party chief," she said.
She however admitted that dynamism could be very fast in politics and may happen in seconds.
Puan said she was ready to be more open to the public by making herself more accessible by the media.
(SYS/H-YH/S012)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
