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.