Golkar joins calls for Akbar to quit post<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung has lost the moral authority to lead
\nthe House of Representatives (DPR) after the attorney general
\ndeclared him a suspect in the latest financial scandal involving
\nthe State Logistics Agency (Bulog), Golkar Deputy Chairman Marwah
\nDaud said on Friday, upping the pressure for the beleaguered
\nGolkar chairman to relinquish his post.<\/p>\n
"Akbar must listen to his conscience and put national and
\nparty interests above his personal well-being," Marwah said in a
\nhastily-organized media conference here on Friday.<\/p>\n
She, however, rejected demands for the House to set up a
\ncommittee to investigate Akbar's alleged corruption, saying,
\n"Akbar must undergo the legal process instead of the political
\nprocess".<\/p>\n
"The establishment of a House special committee to investigate
\nthe involvement of Akbar in the corruption scandal may no longer
\nbe required as the legal process is now proceeding," Marwah said.<\/p>\n
The attorney general declared Akbar a suspect on Monday in the
\nRp 54.6 billion financial scam.<\/p>\n
Asked if Akbar had to give up his Golkar chairmanship, Marwah
\nsaid that, "he should have resigned following his failure to
\npromote (former president) B.J. Habibie as the country's
\npresident in the 1999 presidential election".<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, political scientists are divided over whether or
\nnot the embattled Akbar still enjoyed strong support from within
\nGolkar and other major political parties after he was declared a
\nsuspect in the graft scandal.<\/p>\n
Satya Arinanto, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia,
\nsaid he doubted whether Golkar's support for Akbar remained solid
\ndespite last week's pledge by leaders of the party's provincial
\nbranches to stand behind their chairman.<\/p>\n
He said Akbar's opponents within Golkar were now figuring out
\nthe opportune moment to campaign openly for his removal from the
\nparty's top post.<\/p>\n
"Originally they were going to sideline Akbar over the
\ncorruption case, but they also have a high interest in
\nsafeguarding Golkar, as an institution, from falling apart,"
\nSatya told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Akbar's opponents within Golkar are grouped into two factions
\n-- one led by Golkar chief advisor Arnold Baramuli and another by
\nsenior legislator Ginandjar Kartasasmita. They are believed to
\nhave been disappointed with Akbar's failure to support Habibie's
\npresidential bid in 1999 and his inability to protect high-
\nranking Golkar leaders accused of corruption such as Ginandjar
\nKartasamita and the former industry and trade minister, Rahardi
\nRamelan. Satya said Akbar's enemies could snowball depending on
\nthe extent of opposition against him outside his party.<\/p>\n
J. B. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS) concurred with Satya on Friday, saying that
\ninternal support for opposition against Akbar would aggravate
\nexisting pressure against Akbar from other political parties.<\/p>\n
"Whether Golkar will continue to support or oppose Bang
\n(brother) Akbar will be determined by where the wind is blowing.
\nIt depends on the strength of external opposition," he told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Another political observer Fachry Aly, however, said Golkar's
\nloyalty for Akbar remains solid and that support for him will not
\nlessen significantly as he already enjoys a "strong basis" in the
\nregions.<\/p>\n
Opposition has come solely from party leaders in South
\nSulawesi, said Fachri, adding that external pressure had also
\neased against the Golkar chairman after intensive lobbying by his
\ncolleagues of other major parties.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan would think twice before pressing ahead with
\nits proposal for a political inquiry of Akbar's alleged role in
\nthe misuse of Bulog funds as it could, in turn, affect the
\nperformance of Megawati's administration, he said.<\/p>\n
"The investigation into Akbar by the House could cause a
\ndomino effect on Megawati's government because it would increase
\npolitical tensions, which would later disrupt her priority of
\neconomic recovery," Fachry said.<\/p>\n
Fachry added that PDI Perjuangan seemed to prefer a legal
\napproach undertaken to deal with the Akbar case rather than a
\npolitical probe as the former could prevent the increase of
\npossible tensions among members of the political elite.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Sutjipto
\nsaid his party wanted the graft case against Akbar to be resolved
\nthrough legal procedures.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that a call by some legislators for a boycott if
\nAkbar refused to relinquish his chairmanship in the House was
\npersonal opinion.<\/p>\n
"We keep on discussing this issue and adjusting to the latest
\ndevelopments," he added.<\/p>\n
Ali Maskur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB),
\nmeanwhile, said he fully understood the idea to boycott House
\nmeetings.<\/p>\n
If Akbar remains in his post legislation passed by the House
\nwould be questionable. "We hope Akbar can appear responsive by
\nrelinquishing his post," he added.<\/p>\n
Responding to such calls, Golkar legislators claimed that it
\nwould only be used as justification to avoid House meetings.<\/p>\n
Yahya Zaini said the suspect status of Akbar must not be used
\nto avoid the meeting. "The deliberation of bills and legislative
\nhearings would be disturbed if legislators boycott the meeting,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Sutjipto added his party had not reached a deal with the
\ntroubled Golkar Party although the party had sent a lobbying
\nteam.<\/p>\n
He said his meeting with Golkar politicians was a friendly
\nmeeting with no significant agenda. "It was an informal meeting
\nthat produced no agreement," he told the media here on Friday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-joins-calls-for-akbar-to-quit-post-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}