TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bengkulu’s senator Muhamad Saleh has been elected as the new Regional Representative Council (DPD) speaker in place of Irman Gusman. He rose victorious above other candidates, namely West Nusa Tenggara’s senator Farouk Muhammad and Yogyakarta’s senator Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas.
The election of DPD speaker was carried out via voting. Earlier, the extraordinary plenary meeting chairman Maimanah Umar suspended the meeting for ten minutes to give time for candidates to hold talks.
“Upon the approval of the plenary meeting of the DPD RI, Mohammad Saleh has been made as the speaker,” Maimanah said at the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 11, 2016.
Saleh garnered 61 votes, Hemas had 31 votes and Farouk mustered 23 votes. Whereas one vote has been declared void. As such, Hemas has been elected as deputy speaker I and Farouk as deputy speaker II.
“It flows naturally. For me, this is a huge mandate,” Saleh said after the announcement of his victory.
The newly elected DPD speaker will serve for six months as he will continue the term of Irman Gusman. The DPD regulations had previously been revised, stipulating the speaker to serve for 2.5 years only.
AHMAD FAIZ
