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Setya Novanto may attend Donald Trump inauguration
Jakarta Post - January 6, 2017
Setya, the Golkar Party chairman who recently regained the top legislative body post, may attend the inauguration, where Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president, on Jan. 20 at the US Capitol Building. Setya "will likely attend the inauguration", Golkar executive Eni Maulani said on Wednesday.
Relations between the two tycoons have raised speculation that Setya's return to the House and Trump's inauguration may solve long-strained problems, like the contract of mining giant Freeport Indonesia.
Setya's and Trump's relations "will definitely affect [the Freeport deal], but whether the affect is significant or not, we don't know yet. Their good relations will not likely be merely ceremonial," said political communication observer Hendri Satrio of Paramadina University.
The copper and gold mine company is a subsidiary of the US-based giant mining firm Freeport McMoRan Inc. The company's contract to continue mining the world's largest gold deposit in Papua will expire in 2021.
Freeport had been seeking the government's approval to extend its contract, but if it complied with the 2010 government regulation on mineral resources and coal operations, it could apply for an extension two years before the expiration date, or in 2019.
US media reported earlier that Trump, the real estate tycoon, had enlisted Carl Icahn, a top shareholder of Freeport-McMoRan, as his special adviser on business regulations.
"Freeport having a smooth way to accelerate its contract extension is not what we want to see happening. The people have given a second chance to Setya, so he'd better not waste it. Their relations [between Setya and Trump] should have good impacts on national interest, not vice versa," Hendri added.
Setya and House deputy speaker Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party showed up at a campaign event staged by Trump during his visit to the US in September 2015. Trump introduced Setya as a special guest during the event.
Setya, Fadli and Golkar politician Aziz Syamsuddin were in the US to partake in the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in New York. They met the then US House speaker, John A Boehner, in Washington, DC, and visited Indonesian diaspora living on the country's west coast.
Less than three months after the meeting between the two tycoons, Setya was embroiled in controversy surrounding the extension of Freeport's contract. Setya stepped down from his speakership post, after which Golkar politician Ade Komarudin took over. However, in less than a year, Setya regained his seat.
Politician Ahmad Rofiq, secretary-general of a new party, the United Indonesia Party (Perindo), said party founder Hary Tanoesoedibjo had introduced Setya to Trump, who he said was Hary's long-time acquaintance. The owner of Global Mediacom or the MNC Group aims to seek candidacy in the 2019 presidential election.
Ahmad suggested relations between Hary, Setya and Trump would bring "many advantages" such as the development of resorts, investment, industrial and technological sectors, though he did not elaborate.
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