AGO told to tolerate criticism

AGO told to tolerate criticism

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono has spoken out
against Thursday's commotion between legislators and the Attorney
General's Office (AGO), asserting that state officials should be
prepared to take criticism.

Responding to Thursday's incident between legislators and
Attorney General Abdul Rachman Saleh, Agung said that it was
purely a case of miscommunication.

"What happened was just a misunderstanding over the language
used. It was merely an expression of our discontent over the
performance of prosecutors in dealing with corruption cases," he
said on Friday.

A brief commotion ended a five-hour meeting between
legislators and the AGO on Thursday, when a House member from the
Reform Star Party depicted Abdul as "an Islamic preacher in a
village of thieves".

The remark, which was made a couple of times, followed
legislators' repeated accusations that prosecutors had used
blackmail and politicized corruption cases in regional areas.

Abdul said the remark was inappropriate and hurtful, and he
wanted it withdrawn, a demand legislators refused to meet. A
couple of high-ranking prosecutors then stood up and called out
to legislators, demanding respect.

Nevertheless, Agung also called on legislators to convey their
criticisms politely to avoid misunderstandings.

Other House members, including from the National Mandate Party
and United Development Party factions, expressed their
disappointment and asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to
take stern action against the AGO.

They said Abdul had failed to control to calm his subordinates
and that his position was beyond his capabilities.

The House's disciplinary council is scheduled to hold a
meeting next Tuesday to discuss the incident before taking
further action.

The discussion, said board chairman Slamet Effendy Yusuf,
would likely focus on whether the incident was in contempt of the
legislature.

Separately, Abdul Rahman said he had reported the incident to
the President, and maintained his stance that the remark was
unethical and inappropriate.

"The President wants all government officials to maintain good
and constructive relationships with the House. But we'll need to
begin a new era in which there is mutual respect and ethics and
etiquette are upheld," he said.

He said his office would continue investigating corruption
cases and prosecute the guilty parties, regardless of their
affiliations.