AKARTA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia was elected to hold the chairmanship of South East Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) in a regional assembly held in Indonesia's Central Java province capital city of Semarang on Saturday.

Indonesia replaced the Philippines as the SEAPAC chairman after being mandated by delegations attending the assembly session that began on Jan. 31.

Eva Kusuma Sundari, member of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), and an Indonesian task force member, said that the Indonesian delegation proposed Pramono Anung Wibowo to lead the SEAPAC. Pramono is the current head of GOPAC Indonesian task force.

Pramono will replace Edgardo J Angara of the Philippines to lead the anti-graft organization joined by members of parliaments in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Thailand's deputy speaker Surachi Liengboonlerthchan was selected as the SEAPAC deputy chairman.

"The challenge faced by the SEAPAC organizing committee is how to widen the SEAPAC membership in the region by establishing GOPAC national chapters in the remaining four ASEAN countries of Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and Brunei," Eva said, quoted by the Antara news agency.

The SEAPAC regional assembly which ended on Saturday drew delegations from the six ASEAN countries that had adopted the SEAPAC - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Timor Leste sent an observer team in the assembly.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-02/02/c_132146325.htm