House presses forward with Akbar inquiry<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Legislators on Monday agreed to bring a proposal to form an
\ninquiry on the alleged abuse of power by Golkar Party Chief Akbar
\nTandjung to a plenary meeting in January next year, however the
\nquestion still remains whether the House of Representatives would
\neventually agree to form it or not.<\/p>\n
A meeting of the House steering committee agreed in a vote to
\nbring the proposal for discussion to a plenary meeting on Jan.
\n21.<\/p>\n
Fifty one members of the committee voted in support of the
\nproposal. There were 21 votes against and two abstentions. A
\ntotal of 74 of the 76-member committee attended Monday's meeting.<\/p>\n
The House plenary meeting on Jan. 21 will decide whether it
\nwill form the special commission to probe the alleged involvement
\nof House Speaker Akbar Tandjung in the misappropriation of Rp 40
\nbillion in funds from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) while
\nserving as state secretary.<\/p>\n
As expected the main opposition to the inquiry came from
\nGolkar and the United Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
Golkar had blocked the last three steering committee meetings
\nfrom deciding on the issue however it could not extend its
\nsuccess on Monday.<\/p>\n
Sources said that during the meeting the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) proposed a decision be made
\nthrough consensus. However after some discussion no agreement
\ncould be reached.<\/p>\n
The proposal to form an inquiry team to probe the alleged
\ngraft was submitted by over 50 legislators on Oct. 23.<\/p>\n
They claimed that the investigation conducted by the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office into the matter was too slow.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office has declared former Bulog chief
\nRahardi Ramelan a suspect, with Akbar a witness in the case.<\/p>\n
After the vote, senior Golkar member Marzuki Achmad said the
\nparty accepted the vote but warned that it would fight on.<\/p>\n
\"We already knew the result of the voting. As democrats, of
\ncourse we accept it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite success at the steering committee, legislator Ali
\nMasykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB), however, was
\nconcerned about the prospects of a possible vote on the issue in
\nthe 700-member House plenary session.<\/p>\n
\"We can only hope that other legislators abide by their
\nconscience,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Golkar Party and PPP have a combined vote of 178 seats in
\nthe House.<\/p>\n
The key to the success of establishing an investigation would
\nbe how members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) vote with their 153 seats.<\/p>\n
A two-thirds majority is required in the plenary for the
\nproposal to pass.<\/p>\n
Military\/Police faction chairman Budi Harsono was also
\nnoncommittal about how his faction would vote in a plenary
\nsession despite lending its support to the steering committee.<\/p>\n
\"Whether or not we agree will be discussed later,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa from Golkar said party members would
\ncontinue their lobby claiming that a People's Consultative
\nAssembly decree mandating the eradication of corruption should be
\npursued through the courts.<\/p>\n
\"The decree clearly states that the president must eradicate
\ncorruption through legal means not political,\" he argued.<\/p>\n
How the steering committee voted<\/p>\n
Faction, Seats, Absent, For, Against, Abstain:
\nPDI Perjuangan, 22, 1, 21, -, -;
\nGolkar, 18, -, -, 18, -;
\nPPP, 9, -, 6, 3, -;
\nPKB, 8, -, 8, -, -;
\nReform, 6, -, 6, -, -;
\nMilitary\/Police, 6, -, 6, -, -;
\nPBB, 2, 1, 1, -, -;
\nKKI, 2, -, 2, -, -;
\nPDU, 2, -, -, -, 2;
\nPDKB, 1, -, 1, -, -;
\nTotal, 76, 2, 51, 21, 2.<\/p>",
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