Golkar Party’s Sabar Syamsurya Sitepu, the caretaker speaker, was supposed to take over the speaker's post permanently from the Democratic Party’s Denni Ilham Panggabean. But the plenary session, opened by Sabar, was interrupted midway through his speech when Denni came up to the podium declaring it illegal to be opened by anyone other than him.
A plenary session of the Medan City Council to select a new speaker had to be canceled on Monday after the disgraced incumbent got into a shoving match with his detractors.
The meeting was expected to see the Golkar Party’s Sabar Syamsurya Sitepu, the caretaker speaker, take over the post permanently from the Democratic Party’s Denni Ilham Panggabean. But the plenary session, opened by Sabar, was interrupted midway through his speech when Denni came up to the podium and declared the meeting illegal unless he presided over it.
Denni has been ostracized by the Democratic Party for his abrupt decision to challenge the party’s official nominee in the race for mayor, which he eventually lost.
The party has also dismissed him as its regional head and issued a letter to the City Council to the effect that it no longer recognized Denni as representing the party and requesting that fellow Democrat councilman Amiruddin be named his replacement as speaker.
Denni’s failed bid for mayor also meant he was officially dismissed from the council.
“As of now, I am still the speaker of the Medan City Council,” Denni said during Monday’s session. “It makes no sense to have a caretaker speaker if the real one is still around.
“I am the only one allowed to open or lead this meeting.”
He said the Democratic Party’s dismissal of him and request for a new speaker were internal party affairs that should not be discussed at the council.
When Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) councilor Ikrimah Hamidy attempted to calm him down and tell him to contact the Democratic Party for an explanation, Denni shoved Ikrimah.
The scuffle drew in other councilors, and eventually police officers were brought in to restore the peace.
Outside the council building, hundreds of Democratic Party supporters rallied to oppose Denni’s replacement. They also called for the party to reinstate him as local branch chairman. The demonstration proceeded without incident.
Ahmad Arif, from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the decision to appoint Sabar as the caretaker speaker still held, and that the council would proceed with a plenary session to appoint a permanent replacement for Denni. “We’ll hold the meeting on Tuesday under tight guard from the police,” he said.
He said Monday’s incident was not the first time Denni had disrupted a meeting to name his successor. “We’ve had to cancel several plenary sessions because Denni obstinately refuses to step down, for whatever reason,” Arif said.
One such disruption occurred last Wednesday, when Denni broke into a meeting room with several members of a youth militia and demanded the councilors include him in their discussion.
He then proceeded to open and immediately close the meeting, all the while with the youths chanting, “Long live the speaker!”
Denni first courted controversy when he announced he would run for mayor of Medan, despite his party already endorsing the nomination of Eldin Zulmi as the running mate to Golkar’s Rahudman Harahap.
His bid was never officially recognized by the Medan General Elections Commission (KPUD), and Rahudman and Eldin went on to win the May 12 vote.
Because Denni had already announced his candidacy, the City Council dismissed him from the body, his rejection by the KPUD notwithstanding.
Subsequent sessions of the council that Denni presided over saw walkouts staged by councilors from several parties in protest of his continued claim to be speaker.
Denni claims the attempt to replace him as speaker is part of a “coup d’etat” by Golkar, and has threatened to take legal action.
A plenary session of the Medan City Council to select a new speaker had to be canceled on Monday after the disgraced incumbent got into a shoving match with his detractors.
The meeting was expected to see the Golkar Party’s Sabar Syamsurya Sitepu, the caretaker speaker, take over the post permanently from the Democratic Party’s Denni Ilham Panggabean. But the plenary session, opened by Sabar, was interrupted midway through his speech when Denni came up to the podium and declared the meeting illegal unless he presided over it.
Denni has been ostracized by the Democratic Party for his abrupt decision to challenge the party’s official nominee in the race for mayor, which he eventually lost.
The party has also dismissed him as its regional head and issued a letter to the City Council to the effect that it no longer recognized Denni as representing the party and requesting that fellow Democrat councilman Amiruddin be named his replacement as speaker.
Denni’s failed bid for mayor also meant he was officially dismissed from the council.
“As of now, I am still the speaker of the Medan City Council,” Denni said during Monday’s session. “It makes no sense to have a caretaker speaker if the real one is still around.
“I am the only one allowed to open or lead this meeting.”
He said the Democratic Party’s dismissal of him and request for a new speaker were internal party affairs that should not be discussed at the council.
When Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) councilor Ikrimah Hamidy attempted to calm him down and tell him to contact the Democratic Party for an explanation, Denni shoved Ikrimah.
The scuffle drew in other councilors, and eventually police officers were brought in to restore the peace.
Outside the council building, hundreds of Democratic Party supporters rallied to oppose Denni’s replacement. They also called for the party to reinstate him as local branch chairman. The demonstration proceeded without incident.
Ahmad Arif, from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the decision to appoint Sabar as the caretaker speaker still held, and that the council would proceed with a plenary session to appoint a permanent replacement for Denni. “We’ll hold the meeting on Tuesday under tight guard from the police,” he said.
He said Monday’s incident was not the first time Denni had disrupted a meeting to name his successor. “We’ve had to cancel several plenary sessions because Denni obstinately refuses to step down, for whatever reason,” Arif said.
One such disruption occurred last Wednesday, when Denni broke into a meeting room with several members of a youth militia and demanded the councilors include him in their discussion.
He then proceeded to open and immediately close the meeting, all the while with the youths chanting, “Long live the speaker!”
Denni first courted controversy when he announced he would run for mayor of Medan, despite his party already endorsing the nomination of Eldin Zulmi as the running mate to Golkar’s Rahudman Harahap.
His bid was never officially recognized by the Medan General Elections Commission (KPUD), and Rahudman and Eldin went on to win the May 12 vote.
Because Denni had already announced his candidacy, the City Council dismissed him from the body, his rejection by the KPUD notwithstanding.
Subsequent sessions of the council that Denni presided over saw walkouts staged by councilors from several parties in protest of his continued claim to be speaker.
Denni claims the attempt to replace him as speaker is part of a “coup d’etat” by Golkar, and has threatened to take legal action.
