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Jokowi's agenda safe as Setya returns
Jakarta Post - December 17, 2016
For House Speaker Setya Novanto, the meeting was a signal that he was back in the game after months in the political wilderness following a coup that resulted in the Golkar Party chairman losing the speakership to his junior Ade Komarudin.
As for deputy House speakers Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party and Fahri Hamzah of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the meeting with President Jokowi marked a rewarming of their relationship especially after the decision by the two politicians to join the Nov. 4 street rally demanding the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is backed by Jokowi for reelection next year.
Setya, who described the 90-minute meeting as "friendly and cordial" said it was the start of a close relationship between the executive and legislative branches of the government. He said the House leadership would engage in more consultation with the President and that the legislative body was committed to supporting all government programs.
"We'll also tell the leaders of the political party factions at the House, and we'll continue trying to get them closer to the government to discuss political issues together," Setya told journalists after the meeting.
Setya, whose political career hit rock bottom following a scandal involving giant mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia that forced him to resign as House leader, reclaimed his position as House speaker, replacing Ade, in late November.
Analysts have said the removal of Ade was part of a systematic effort by the President to control the House through Setya, who now ranks as one of the country's most powerful politicians, as Jokowi's closest ally.
Ade was regarded as unreliable by Jokowi, whose agenda in the House stalled reportedly because of Ade's failure to rally support for it.
In June, the tax amnesty bill was rushed through in a House plenary session despite Jokowi's political party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) seeking to extend deliberation of the bill.
The Golkar faction, then led by Ade, pressed for the immediate endorsement of the bill into law and won support from other political factions.
Ade was also blamed for failing to prevent Muslim-based political parties in the ruling coalition, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), and the National Awakening Party (PKB), from joining the Nov. 4 rally. He specifically failed to warn Fadli and Fahri against joining the rally.
Two weeks after the rally, on Nov. 17, Jokowi invited Setya for a meeting at the State Palace. Six days later, the Golkar Party's central board decided to reinstate Setya as House speaker. On Nov. 30, Setya was inaugurated as the new House speaker, ousting Ade.
Analysts have said that under Setya's leadership, Golkar, the last political party to join the government coalition, appears to have gained more influence over Jokowi than the PDI-P.
In the past few months, the PDI-P has made moves to counterbalance Setya's growing clout by demanding an amendment to the Legislative Institutions Law, known as the MD3 Law, which would allow the party to get a top seat in the House.
Setya has responded to the demand by allowing the deliberation of the MD3 amendment proposal to allow the PDI-P to get a deputy speakership position. The House is currently waiting for a presidential letter to start deliberating the bill.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/17/jokowis-agenda-safe-as-setya-returns.html.
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