PPP 'star' legislator also in hot water<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With news of the sacking of legislator Bambang
\nWarih Koesoemo just beginning to sink in yesterday, the House of
\nRepresentatives was already abuzz with rumors of another
\nimpending dismissal.<\/p>\n
This time, the job in question is that of Sri Bintang
\nPamungkas, the enfant terrible of the United Development Party
\n(PPP) faction.<\/p>\n
Bintang (which literally means \"star\") was rebuked by faction
\nleaders for acting out of line in allegedly making false
\naccusations against Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad during a
\nhearing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Bintang is known for making sharp criticisms of government
\npolicies and of the established order in general.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, his fellow legislators greeted him when he arrived
\nby saying, \"After Bambang leaves, it'll be your turn to go.\"<\/p>\n
Chairman of the PPP central executive board, Ismail Hasan
\nMetareum, told reporters he would ask Hamzah Haz, chairman of the
\nPPP faction in the House of Representatives, for a written
\naccount of Tuesday's incident.<\/p>\n
During the Tuesday hearing, Mar'ie criticized a member of the
\npress on his reporting and called on other reporters to be more
\ncareful. Bintang interrupted the minister, saying Mar'ie was
\nacting out of line in \"threatening\" the press.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie denied that he was threatening the press, but Bintang
\nwould not budge from his accusation that he had done so. Chairman
\nof the House Commission on the State Budget, Dadi Sukardi, had to
\nend the meeting ahead of time because of the incident.<\/p>\n
PPP faction chairman, Hamzah Haz, said he could understand if
\nMar'ie was angry because Bintang's reaction had been overblown.<\/p>\n
Bintang defended himself by lashing out at Mar'ie for his
\n\"inability to control himself\" and for trying to reduce the
\nfreedom of the press.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan declined to say outright that his party would
\ndismiss Bintang, but he did not rule out such a measure. \"There
\nare laws that regulate such measures, and I won't 'erase' those
\nlaws,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said it would not be the first time Bintang had been
\nsummoned by party leaders for his conduct.<\/p>\n
\"I summoned him once before,\" Ismail said, referring to the
\ntime when Bintang spoke out against the socio-political role of
\nthe Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
The party leaders then were forced to issue a statement that
\nBintang's remarks about ABRI were his personal view and did not
\nreflect the party's position.<\/p>\n
Bintang yesterday brushed off the rumors surrounding him,
\nsaying that only the people could dismiss him, because he is a
\nrepresentative of the people. \"I have nothing to do with leaders
\nof the party or the faction,\" he said. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-star-legislator-also-in-hot-water-1447893297",
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