The new members of the DPR and DPD took oath under the guidance of Supreme Court Chief Justice Hatta Ali during the first plenary session of the parliament and council.
At the first plenary session, 76-year-old Popong Otje Djundjunan, the oldest member of the DPR, was accompanied by the youngest member, Ade Rizki Pratama who was temporarily entrusted to lead the DPR.
Djundjunan is a female politician from the Golkar Party who won from the electoral district of West Java I. She was born in Bandung on December 30, 1938.
Pratama was born in Bukittinggi on November 8, 1988. The 26-year-old Gerindra politician won from the electoral district of West Sumatra II.
The first plenary session of the DPD was led by the youngest member Riri Damayanti and H. Mudaffar Sjah.
Riri was born in Bengkulu on February 4, 1990. The 24-year-old DPD member won from the electoral district of Bengkulu province. Mudaffar was born in Ternate on April 13, 1935. The 79-year-old politician won from the electoral district of North Maluku province.
The first plenary session of the MPR consisting of DPR and DPD members to swear in its members was led by the youngest member of the DPR, Ade Rezki Pratama, and the oldest member of the DPD, H. Mudaffar Sjah.
The ceremony was attended by several ministers, including E.E. Mangindaan from the Democrat Party and Muhaimin Iskandar from the National Awakening Party (PKB), who resigned and chose to become members of the DPR for the 2014-2019 period.
The ceremony was also attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono, the ministers of the United Indonesia Cabinet II, President-elect Joko Widodo, Vice President-elect Jusuf Kalla, the leader of the political party, and several ambassadors.
The General Elections Commission earlier suspended the inauguration of five newly elected parliament members due to their alleged involvement in corruption cases, Commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah stated here on Wednesday.
"We have suggested to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to issue a Presidential Decree to suspend the inauguration of the five newly elected lawmakers as they have been named suspects in various corruption cases," Ferry remarked on the sidelines of the inauguration of 555 newly elected parliament members at the DPR building here on Wednesday.
Among the five elected lawmakers are former energy and mineral resources minister and a member of the Democrat party Jero Wacik, former Bantul districts chief and a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Idham Samawi, Herdian Koosnadi, Jimmy Demianus from the PDIP, and Iqbal Wibisono from the Golkar Party.
According to Ferry, the suspension is temporary until the legal proceedings of the cases involving the five lawmakers are not completed. If anyone is found guilty, the General Elections Commission will recommend the supporting political party to replace the elected lawmaker with another party cadre.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
