President welcomes new BI governor

The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua | Business | Wed, March 27 2013, 2:21 PM

Agus Martowardojo, 57, was elected to the position of Bank Indonesia (BI) governor by an internal meeting held by House of Representatives Commission XI, which oversees banking, on Tuesday evening.

“First of all, we warmly welcome the […] democratic process [that elected] Pak Agus as BI Governor,” said presidential advisor for economy, Firmansyah, on behalf of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Firmansyah accompanied the President at the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 meeting in Bali.

At the internal meeting Agus was selected with 46 votes in favor, seven against and one abstaining.

Yudhoyono nominated Finance Minister Agus as the only BI Governor candidate to the House on Feb.22.

Most of the politicians and lawmakers at the House responded positively to Agus’ appointment, due to his experience as a banker and as finance minister since 2010.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was the only faction to vote against Agus’s nomination. Ecky Awal Mucharam, a lawmaker from the PKS faction, said his party refused the nomination on the grounds of stability.

In 2008, Agus was nominated as BI Governor but failed a fit-and-proper test conducted by the Commission IX at the House. (nai/ebf)