JAKARTA, Oct. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Indonesia on Friday began the implementation of a new bicameral representation system as parliament members elected from the April 5 elections were taking oath.

    Chief Justice Bagir Manan led the swearing-in ceremony for legislators of the 550-member House of Representatives (DPR) and senators of the 128-member Regional Representatives Council (DPD) with the presence of President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

    All parliament members who begin their five-year tenure were elected in the country's first ever direct election, replacing an old system under which political parties assigned their representatives in legislative bodies.

    In the past elections, the parliament reserved seats to appointed members of interest groups and military/police officers.

    In the April 5 election, DPD members also were chosen directly at provincial level and each province was given four seats at the parliament.

    Newcomers made up 72 percent of the DPR, with largest party Golkar securing 128 seats or 23.27 percent. Megawati-led the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the former rulingparty, ranks second with 109 seats or 19.82 percent.

    The Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) followed with 58 seats, the Democratic Party chaired by president-in-waiting Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono got 57 seats, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) share 53 seats each and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has won 45 seats.

    The remaining seats in the DPR are shared by 10 other parties that passed the electoral threshold.

    The bicameral system was adopted after passage of constitutional amendments in 2002. In the previous system, the parliament was divided into DPR and appointed members from interest groups, provinces and the military/police.

    Together they formed the 1000-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest lawmaking body.

    House members are scheduled to elect the DPR speaker later in the day. According to the amended constitution, the powers of the Assembly include constitutional amendments, the inauguration of the President and Vice President as well as impeachment.

    However, impeachment decisions can only be made after a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

    Leaders of the four-party Nationhood Coalition reached agreement Thursday to back a Golkar candidate for the DPR speaker post and a PDI-P candidate for the Assembly speaker post, The Jakarta Post newspaper reported Friday.

    The coalition -- comprising Golkar, PDI-P, PPP and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) -- was formed several weeks before the Sept. 20 presidential runoff to garner support for Megawati, but falling short of winning most of the votes.

    Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung, the former DPR speaker, has repeatedly said the coalition would serve as an opposition group in the parliament following its failure to win Megawati's reelection bid. The coalition has combined seats of 308 in the DPR.

    "Our candidate could win the seat if members of the Nationhood Coalition throw their support behind us," outgoing House speaker Akbar was quoted as saying.

    Akbar did not run in the legislative election as he was hoping to win the nomination from his party to be its presidential candidate, but he lost to retired general Wiranto in an internal vote.

    Golkar nominated Agung Laksono, a former state minister of youth affairs and sports under the Soeharto cabinet, to take the House speaker post. But it remained indefinite the Assembly speaker candidate from PDI-P.

    The Nationhood Coalition, which controls the majority in the House, will face challenge from the Democratic Party and the PKS whose presidential candidate Yudhoyono is heading for a landslide victory.

    The current parliament members were chosen from one of Indonesia's most democratic elections since the first election in 1955. The direct legislative election was followed by the direct presidential election, the first in the country's history, on July5 but as none of the five candidates won an outright majority, a runoff was held on Sept. 20 between Megawati and Yudhoyono. Enditem