PDI-P politician Puan Maharani is set to be sworn in to lead the House of Parliament (DPR) for the 2019-2024 legislative session, further asserting her family’s prominence in Indonesian politics.
Puan is the daughter of former President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who now chairs President Joko Widodo’s party, PDI-P, and the granddaughter of Indonesia’s founding father and first President Soekarno. She served as coordinating human development and culture minister under President Jokowi from 2014 to 2019.
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Puan’s imminent appointment comes as little surprise, given that she had been constantly championed by her party and political allies to become House Speaker following last April’s general elections. Her position was further strengthened by the fact that the PDI-P-led government coalition enjoys a comfortable 60 percent majority in parliament to begin the new legislative session.
“The streak is broken and now we have a female House Speaker after 70 years. I hope to be an inspiration,” Puan said prior to her inauguration today as quoted by Tempo, adding that she has formally resigned from her cabinet post.
Puan also promised that, as House Speaker, she will not force the passage of several problematic bills — which have sparked student protests nationwide — without thorough evaluation and input from the public.
Puan’s appointment, scheduled for 7pm today, will come on the same day that 575 legislators were sworn in for the 2019-2024 legislative session in the DPR building earlier in the day.
“It’s about seniority. [Puan] held a high position in the executive branch, not just a minister, but a coordinating minister,” PDI-P politician Eva Kusuma Sundari told reporters before the inauguration in Jakarta today, as quoted by Detik.
Puan’s job as House Speaker comes with the added pressure of restoring DPR’s already mediocre reputation. Political analysts have said that members of the DPR who served from 2014 to 2019 were among the worst since Indonesia’s democratic reforms in 1998, particularly because they backed several highly criticized bills and that 23 lawmakers were arrested for corruption over five years (including former House Speaker Setya Novanto).
On October 20, President Jokowi is set to be sworn in for his second term, along with Vice President-elect Ma’ruf Amin, who is replacing outgoing Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
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