Golkar Proposes Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus To Replace Deputy Speaker Of The House Of Representatives Azis Syamsuddin

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Golkar Party Airlangga Hartarto has officially announced Lt. Gen. (ret) Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus as the candidate for Deputy Speaker of the DPR replacing Azis Syamsuddin.

Airlangga directly submitted a letter requesting approval from the DPR leadership from the Golkar Party, namely the candidate for Deputy Chair of the DPR for Political and Security Coordinator (Korpolkam) to DPR Chair Puan Maharani at the DPR building, Wednesday, September 29.

"Of course, in the discussion with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, we have communicated before, before today we schedule a meeting for this afternoon," said Airlangga accompanied by the chairman of the Golkar faction Kahar Muzakir and the secretary of the faction Adies Kadir.

Regarding the existing mechanism, Airlangga continued, the Golkar Party has held limited plenary meetings and daily plenary meetings. So, he said, the internal Golkar process is also in accordance with the same mechanism as that in the DPR.

"Well, in accordance with the applicable mechanism, we have consulted with all seniors of the Golkar party in the advisory council, honorary council and also the expert council," he explained.

"And in the plenary meeting on September 27 yesterday, the Golkar Party has decided to appoint Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus as a candidate for deputy chairman of the DPR to replace brother Azis Syamsuddin," Airlangga announced.

Airlangga also explained the profile of the new DPR deputy chairman candidate. Lodewijk was born in Manado on July 27, 1957. He currently serves as Secretary General of the Golkar Party and sits on Commission I in charge of defence.

Lodewijk is a retired TNI with the last rank of 3-star general and legislator representing Lampung in the 2019-2024 period.

Previously, said Airlangga, Lodewijk had been a Kodiklat commander in the TNI AD and had been a Kopassus commander general.

"He was also at Kodam Jaya in 2013, after the new Kodiklat joined the Golkar Party. Of course at Golkar Pak Lodewijk was the head of the coordinator of strategic studies and HR before serving as secretary general," he explained.

Airlangga hopes that the process of submitting a candidate for deputy chairman of the DPR from Lodewijk can be completed in a plenary meeting.

"And it can proceed according to the existing mechanism in the DPR RI," said Airlangga.