Carlos Paath, Jakarta – Indonesia's House of Representatives forged ahead on Wednesday with the selection of commission and committee leaders, despite a boycott from the five-party Awesome Indonesia coalition, or KIH, of President Joko Widodo.

Leaders of five commissions had already been elected by mid-afternoon, and Golkar Party lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo said the remaining six, as well as the House's six committees, would have new heads by tomorrow.

"The selection will be done through negotiation or voting, depending on the conditions of the commissions and bodies," Bambang said.

The push to settle commission heads, however, has been boycotted by parties supporting President Joko, who have refused to put forward legislators to sit on the bodies.

With a minority in the House, the bloc has been powerless to stop losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's Red-White coalition (KMP) – which has 353 of the 560 House seats – sweeping leadership posts.

No leaders had been appointed to the House's budget committee, inter-parliamentary committee, legislative committee, ethics committee or council committee by the time of writing.

Hendrawan Supratikno, a legislator from Joko's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that Wednesday's meeting was "not credible."

"There is an extraordinary desire to dominate [from the Red-White coalition]," he said. "Don't forget the House is a representative institution. The selection seems to be forcefully conducted in a rush." Hendrawan said the KIH would hold a meeting to decide their next step.

As of the time of writing, the opposition KMP had secured leadership roles in:

• Commission I, which oversees defense, information, foreign and political affairs: Chairman: Mahfudz Siddiq (Prosperous Justice Party, or PKS). Deputies: Tantowi Yahya (Golkar), Asril Hamzah Tanjung (Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra), Hanafi Rais (National Mandate Party, or PAN).

• Commission II, which is responsible for home affairs, regional autonomy, agrarian affairs: Chairman: Rambe K. Zaman (Golkar). Deputies: Ahmad Riza Patria (Gerindra), Wahidin Halim (Democratic Party), Mustafa Kamal (PKS).

• Commission IV for agriculture, plantations, forestry and maritime affairs, fisheries and food affairs: Chairman: Edhy Prabowo (Gerindra). Deputies: Siti Hediyati Hariyadi (Golkar), Herman Khaeron (Democrat), Viva Yoga Mauladi (PAN).

• Commission IX for population, health, manpower, transmigration: Chairman: Dede Yusuf Macan Effendi (Democrat), Syamsul Bachri (Golkar), Pius Lustrilanang (Gerindra), Asman Abnur (PKS).

• Commission VIII for religious affairs, social affairs, women's empowerment: Chairman: Saleh Daulay (PAN). Deputies: Deding Ishak (Golkar), Sodhik Mudjahid (Gerindra), Ledia Amaliah (PKS).

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/big-gains-house-opposition-jokowis-coalition-rolls/