TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of political party leaders urged the House of Representatives`(DPR) Ethics Council (MKD) to address ethics violations allegedly committed by DPR Speaker Setya Novanto. The party leaders also highlighted the sluggish process of handling the case that damaged the reputation of the legislative institution.

United Development Party secretary-general Achmad Baidowi views that the situation may be triggered by a letter sent by Setya to the DPR on November 21. In the letter, Setya pleaded DPR leaders not to hold a plenary session to discuss his removal from the speakership position.

Baidowi suggested that the Ethics Council must not refrain from holding a hearing. “The MKD has made the DPR’s position more difficult in the public’s eye,” Baidowi said in Jakarta on Tuesday, November 28.

Read: MKD Urged to Remove Setya Novanto from DPR

Earlier, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained Setya as a suspect in the electronic ID card (e-KTP) corruption case. Setya, who also serves as the Functional Group (Golkar) Party chairman, was allegedly involved in the graft case that caused a Rp2.3 trillion in state losses.

On Tuesday, November 21, the MKD scheduled a meeting with faction leaders. MKD chairman Sufmi Dasco said the meeting was necessary to decide the DPR Speaker’s fate. However, the meeting was called off as four factions, namely the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, the Democratic Party, and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), failed to attend the meeting.

National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Zulkifli Hasan suggested Setya step down. Zulkifli added that the MKD could not be pushed to remove Setya so long as Golkar has not decided his successor.

The urge to remove Setya from the DPR speakership was also voiced by the National Awakening Party (PKB). PKB Faction member Lukman Edy said that the MKD can hold a meeting without the requirement to consult with faction leaders.

Golkar executive director Nurdin Halid said Setya Novanto’s successor would be decided after the pretrial hearing is held. Setya filed another pretrial motion against his suspect naming.
“We will hold a plenary session after the pretrial hearing produces a decision, in order to determine the next step,” Nurdin said.

AHMAD FAIZ