JAKARTA ~

The General Elections Commission suspends the inauguration of five newly elected parliament members due to their alleged involvement in corruption cases, Commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah stated here on Wednesday.

“We have suggested to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to issue a Presidential Decree to suspend the inauguration of the five newly elected lawmakers as they have been named suspects in various corruption cases,” Ferry remarked on the sidelines of the inauguration of 555 newly elected parliament members at the House Representatives’ building here on Wednesday.

Among the five elected lawmakers are former energy and mineral resources minister and a member of the Democrat party Jero Wacik, former Bantul district’s chief and a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Idham Samawi, Herdian Koosnadi, Jimmy Demianus from the PDIP, and Iqbal Wibisono from the Golkar Party.

According to Ferry, the suspension is temporary until the legal proceedings of the cases involving the five lawmakers are not completed. If anyone is found guilty, the General Elections Commission will recommend the supporting political party to replace the elected lawmaker with another party cadre.