House leaders block attempt to oust Akbar from key post<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite being under fire for its poor performance in legislation,
\nthe House of Representatives has displayed its stubbornness by
\nmaintaining graft convict Akbar Tandjung as its speaker.<\/p>\n
The House defended Akbar yet again during a plenary meeting on
\nTuesday when the House Secretariat did not disclose a petition
\ndemanding the formation of a disciplinary committee to examine
\nAkbar's status following the upholding of his conviction by
\nJakarta High Court.<\/p>\n
The session would not have heard about the petition unless
\nwoman legislator Dwi Ria Latifa rose to question the issue.<\/p>\n
\"This is unfair. We should discuss the status of a House
\nleader convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years in
\njail,\" Ria Latifa of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) said.<\/p>\n
The signatories of the petition asked Akbar to step down on a
\nmorality basis.<\/p>\n
Fellow legislator Ida Fauziah of the National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) also urged the formation of a disciplinary committee.<\/p>\n
In accordance with custom, House deputy speaker Soetardjo
\nSoerjogoeritno, who presided over the plenary session, announced
\nthe receipt of a letter from President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nnaming three candidates for Bank Indonesia governor, namely
\nMiranda S Goeltom, Cyrillius Harinowo and Burhanuddin Abdullah.<\/p>\n
Soetardjo also disclosed that the government had received the
\npresidential election bill for further discussion.<\/p>\n
But the report on a petition signed by 70 interfaction
\nlegislators demanding the formation of a disciplinary committee
\nwas not heard. The motion was submitted at the end of January.<\/p>\n
The disciplinary committee would be tasked with debating
\nwhether Akbar was still acceptable to head the legislative body.<\/p>\n
Responding to Ria Latifa's interruption, Soetardjo ordered
\nHouse deputy secretary-general Faisal Djamal to explain.<\/p>\n
Faisal said the House leaders had studied the petition and had
\nconcluded that it did not comply with internal House rules.<\/p>\n
\"The motion cannot be responded to because it neither concerns
\nrelations between the House and the government nor involves
\nviolations committed by legislators during their term in office,\"
\nFaisal said.<\/p>\n
Article 57 of internal House rules stipulates that a committee
\ncan be set up if a legislator violates the House's code of
\nethics, breaks his or her oath and falsifies the documents
\nrequired to become a legislator.<\/p>\n
Faisal said since Akbar was sentenced for a crime he committed
\nbefore he took up the House's top job, such a disciplinary
\ncommission to dismiss him was not relevant. Akbar was the
\nminister\/state secretary when the graft occurred in 1999.<\/p>\n
The demand to form a disciplinary committee emerged when House
\nfactions rejected a motion of no-confidence against Akbar last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is also chairman of Golkar, the second biggest
\nfaction in the House, was found guilty and sentenced to three
\nyears in jail last year by the Central Jakarta district court for
\nhis role in a Rp 40 billion (US$4.6 million) financial scandal
\ninvolving the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) in 1999.<\/p>\n
Following his conviction, anti-corruption campaigners demanded
\nAkbar to relinquish his position as House Speaker, arguing that
\nhe had lost his moral rights to lead one of the country's high
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
Akbar, however, maintained that he was not guilty of
\ncorruption as charged and appealed the verdict to the Jakarta
\nHigh Court. Last month, the Jakarta High Court upheld Akbar's
\nguilty verdict and jail sentence.<\/p>\n
Akbar, the highest official convicted guilty of corruption in
\nthe country's anti-corruption drive, remains free pending appeal
\nto the Supreme Court.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-leaders-block-attempt-to-oust-akbar-from-key-post-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}