House Speaker Lauds SBY for Issuing Regional Head Election Regulation

Jakarta (Antara) - House Speaker Setya Novanto has expressed appreciation to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) for issuing a new government regulation en lieu of the law (Perppu) on regional head elections. "Regarding the Perppu, I appreciate the president. I came to know about it from the television news. We, however, have not received the copy," the new house speaker stated here on Sunday. The Perppu will soon be studied and discussed in the first session of the Parliament. "Upon receiving it, we will study it, and of course, discuss it in the first session of the Parliament. It will be during the administration of President Jokowi," he noted. President Yudhoyono recently signed two government regulations in lieu of the law (Perppu) on regional head elections following the recent passage of the law by the House of Representatives (DPR). "I have just signed two Perppus," he revealed at a press conference at the Merdeka Palace on Oct. 2, 2014. The new law recently passed by the Parliament (DPR) regulates indirect regional head elections, which is contrary to the practice of holding direct elections of regional heads that has been implemented over the past decade.(*)