79 legislators urge Akbar to resign
79 legislators urge Akbar to resign
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Disgraced House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
received an expected political blow on Monday when 79 legislators
officially asked Akbar to step aside until the graft case against
him was settled.
The petition, signed by the 79 of 500 House legislators, was
officially delivered to House deputy speakers Soetardjo
Soerjoguritno and Muhaimin Iskandar on Monday, opening a new
front in the battle against Akbar, also chairman of the Golkar
Party.
"To protect House' credibility, we, based on the House's
internal rules, ask Akbar Tandjung to step aside," said Dwi Ria
Latifa, one of the petition initiators from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
Soetardjo, after receiving the petition, promised that he
would immediately submit it to the House secretary and if
possible have it brought before the plenary session, scheduled
for Tuesday.
In response to the non-confidence motion, Golkar politicians
are preparing a move to set up a disciplinary committee targeting
legislators, mostly from PDI Perjuangan, with poor attendance
record.
Golkar legislator Akil Mochtar confirmed that as of Monday
night the proposal had won the support of 50 House members from
not only Golkar but the United Development Party and Indonesian
Military/Police factions.
The public's high hopes of having Akbar suspended may be
crushed as it is well known that President Megawati Soekarnoputri
has been against any political move against Akbar.
Megawati, the chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan, the largest
faction in the House, once blocked the establishment of a House
special committee to investigate Akbar's graft case, which was
initiated by legislators from her own party. And she has
reportedly kept a watchful eye on her cadres who initiated and
signed the petition.
A source told The Jakarta Post on Monday that Megawati's
husband Taufik Kiemas had repeatedly threatened Dwi Ria to stop
the petition.
However, Dwi Ria flatly denied the report saying there was no
such pressure from either Megawati or Taufik regarding the
petition.
Although there was no assurance the move would succeed, the
petition was enough to irritate Akbar, a seasoned politician and
chairman of the Golkar Party, the second largest faction in the
House.
"I cannot understand why everything in this country revolves
around my case. Do I have to step down and make everybody happy?"
he remarked, when asked about the petition.
Akbar reiterated that people should allow the legal process to
run its course and wait for the appeal verdict from the Jakarta
High Court.
The petition should be discussed first at the House's steering
committee to set a date for a plenary session, where each faction
will decide whether to support the move or not.
"We call on each faction and parties to give political support
for the move. For the sake of the reform movement, the House
should not be led by a convict," Dwi Ria said.
Akbar was convicted by the Central Jakarta District Court of
stealing Rp 40 billion (US$4.4 million) earmarked for the poor
and was sentenced to three-years jail.
Akbar contested the verdict and filed an appeal. He is free
pending the decision.
While he is free he has insisted he retain his seats both as
House speaker and Golkar chairman, despite calls from the public
and legislators that he step down.
Despite his conviction, nevertheless, no single faction in the
House has dared file a petition to force him to step down.
Because of the lack of action, a number of individual
legislators from various individuals, including Susono Yusuf of
the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muktamimul Ula of the Reform
faction and Dwi Ria, initiated the petition and garnered support
from fellow legislators, mostly from PDI Perjuangan.
Susono said that only legislators from the Golkar Party
faction, the police and military faction, and the Crescent Star
Party (PBB) faction did not sign the petition.
"They have different reasons for doing so," he said.