Akbar must quit: Senior Golkar leaders<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari and Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A claim by Akbar Tandjung that Golkar Party is unified in its
\nsupport for him to stay on as party chairman and the House of
\nRepresentatives speaker has raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n
Akbar's political rivals within Golkar, weighed down by public
\npressure for Akbar to resign as House speaker after being
\nconvicted of corruption, told him on Thursday to concentrate on
\nhis unfinished legal process.<\/p>\n
They argued that the mounting pressure from the public and
\nAkbar's political opponents for him relinquish his post in the
\nHouse was too hard to manage.<\/p>\n
\"Bang Akbar should resign, or otherwise he will be forced to
\nquit,\" Marwah Daud, a senior Golkar leader representing the
\nparty's dissenting camp of Iramasuka, told a press conference on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Iramasuka had made a similar demand when Akbar was detained as
\na suspect before the conviction several months ago.<\/p>\n
Golkar executives attended an internal meeting on Wednesday
\nnight to discuss Akbar's legal status. An executive Aulia Rahman
\nsaid the party was split over the matter, with deputy chairmen
\nTheo Sambuaga, Fahmi Idris and Marwah heading the move to show
\nAkbar the door.<\/p>\n
\"Such a discourse developed during the meeting last night,\"
\nAulia said.<\/p>\n
While Fahmi and Marwah asked Akbar to quit his top posts in
\nthe House and in Golkar, Theo suggested that Akbar relinquish his
\nGolkar chairmanship.<\/p>\n
Marwah urged Akbar to quit as the chairman of Golkar, former
\nstrongman Soeharto's political power base, to restore the party's
\nimage.<\/p>\n
Senior Golkar advisor Muladi, who is among those critical of
\nAkbar, said Akbar should use his conscience by resigning from the
\nHouse to restore the legislative body's and his own credibility
\nand integrity.<\/p>\n
Muladi, currently executive director of the Habibie Center,
\nappealed to all factions in the House to heed public pressure
\nagainst Akbar.<\/p>\n
Marwah said Akbar should use the momentum of the Youth Pledge
\nDay on Oct. 28 to prove himself as an enlightened leader by
\nquitting the top posts in the House and Golkar.<\/p>\n
Akbar was convicted by the Central Jakarta District Court on
\nSept. 4 for embezzling Rp 40 billion (US$4 million) in funds
\nbelonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog). He was sentenced
\nto three years in prison and has appealed the verdict. He remains
\nfree as the judges did not order his detention.<\/p>\n
Marwah emphasized that the resignation of Akbar would not
\nnecessarily imply that Akbar was guilty of corruption. She argued
\nthat Akbar had been wealthy since he was a student activist,
\ntherefore she believed Akbar did not take the money to enrich
\nhimself.<\/p>\n
Many have alleged the money was used to help finance Golkar's
\npolitical campaign ahead of the general elections in 1999.
\nHowever, the judges and prosecutors failed to prove the
\nallegations.<\/p>\n
Since the verdict was handed down, there have been mounting
\ncalls for Akbar to leave his post as speaker of the legislature.
\nA number of legislators from various factions had submitted a
\npetition of no confidence against him, but Akbar is determined to
\nstay in power.<\/p>\n
Legislators hoped the petition would have been read out at a
\nHouse plenary meeting on Monday, but Akbar refused to allow it
\nand ordered that the petition be brought to a meeting of the
\nsteering committee (Bamus) scheduled for Thursday.<\/p>\n
However, Bamus failed to discuss the issue on Thursday,
\nclaiming there was no time.<\/p>\n
Deputy House Speaker Tosari Widjaja, who presided over the
\nBamus meeting on Thursday, said the petition would be discussed
\nat a similar meeting next week.<\/p>\n
Tosari, a deputy chairman of the United Development Party
\n(PPP), denied speculations that the delay was designed to save
\nAkbar.<\/p>",
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