Setya Novanto Reinstated as House Speaker

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Setya Novanto was reinstated as speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday after DPRs Ethics Council decided to remove Ade Komarudin as speaker over ethical code violations.

Novanto was sworn in as house speaker by the executive chairman of the Supreme Court in the presence of deputy speaker Fadli Zon, other DPR leaders, and members of the house.

Before the swearing-in ceremony, Fadli Zon announced the decision of the ethics panel to remove Komarudin as speaker.

All 10 party factions in the house agreed with Komarudins dismissal and supported Setya Novantos nomination.

Novanto, a cadre of the Golkar party, gave up the position when charges of violation of the ethical code were brought against him before the House Honorary Tribunal (MKD) for allegedly misusing the name of the president in asking for a share in a project of Freeport Indonesia last year.

He was replaced by Komarudin, another Golkar leader.

Later Novanto was elected general chairman of the Golkar party and calls for his reinstatement began.

"We will see. We will process [the request] in line with the mechanism effective in the DPR," Fadli said after a meeting with Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuono X here on Tuesday.

Fadli said the ethical code was not a problem in Novantos case as he had quit as the house speaker before the ethics court had made a decision on the charge against him.

"There is nothing hampering Novanto retaking the position of house speaker as the MKD had never slapped any sanctions on him," he said.

The Golkar party, at a plenary meeting on Monday, decided to return the position of the House speaker to Novanto. (WDY)