Democrats to stand by Dahlan Iskan

JAKARTA. The Democratic Party says it stands by State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan, under pressure from lawmakers aiming to put a stop his controversial policy choices.

“He supports the President, so of course we’ll support him. However, there are those in other political parties who are unhappy. Well, that’s understandable, I guess,” Democratic Party deputy secretary-general Ramadhan Pohan said on Monday.

At least 38 members of the House of Representatives (DPR) plan to summon Dahlan for questioning over his ministerial decree, which delegates broad authority to directors and supervisory board members in the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry to circumvent shareholder meetings in selecting the leadership of state-owned firms.

Dahlan faces opposition from the Golkar Party, with 21 members supporting plans for interpellation. Concerns have been raised by members of a number of other parties, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with six members, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) with four, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with two and the National Mandate Party (PAN), the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and the United Development Party (PPP), each with one. (TheJakartaPost)