Jokowi Congratulates New House Speaker Setya Novanto

Jakarta, Oct 2 (Antara) - Indonesian President-elect Joko Widodo congratulated Setya Novanto who is elected as new speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives for the 2014-2019 term. "I congratulate Setya Novanto for being elected as the chairman of the House of Representatives," Jokowi stated here on Thursday after holding a meeting at the town hall. Setya was elected as the chairman during the plenary session, which was held on Wednesday evening (Oct. 1) and lasted until the early hours of Thursday. "The House of Representatives and government have strong relations as partners. Thus, the Indonesian people should not doubt our relations," Jokowi stated. The Merah Putih Coalition has promoted the Chairman of Golongan Karya Fraction Setya Novanto to serve as the chairman of the House of Representatives for the 2014-2019 period. The coalition comprising the Golkar Party, Gerindra Party, Democrat Party, National Mandate Party (PAN), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and United Development Party (PPP) agreed to support and nominate Setya for the post of chairman. The coalition also nominated four names for the post of vice chairman for the House of Representatives such as Fadli Zon from the Gerindra Party, Agus Hermanto of the Democrat Party, Taufik Kurniawan of PAN, and Fahri Hamzah of PKS. In the meantime, several politicians from the National Awakening Party (PKB), Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the National Democratic (Nasdem) Party, and the People`s Conscience (Hanura) Party had staged a walkout from the plenary session due to their belief that the meeting chairman from Golkar Party Popong Otje Djunjunan was not democratic as he did not invite several members of political parties to participate in the discussion.