Motion against Akbar faces further resistance<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/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 pleaded not guilty of corruption in court, has
\nappealed to the Supreme Court.<\/p>",
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