Agung, Megawati should learn strategy from Akbar

Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post

The anger Megawati Soekarnoputri still feels toward her former subordinate, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, combined with the incompetence of House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono in manipulating his gavel to defend the government was arguably the main trigger of the fracas on Wednesday among House members.

Megawati came close to fulfilling her ambition to force Susilo -- her former key Cabinet member -- to swallow his own words that he would stick to his decision to raise the fuel price at any cost, by demanding an open vote to decide once and for all the fate of the fuel hike policy. Until now, Megawati cannot forgive Susilo, whom she branded a traitor for running in the presidential election last year. Her husband Taufik Kiemas described him as a childish general.

Agung, who is also Golkar Party deputy leader, easily outmaneuvered her with the thud of his gavel, which meant there would be no immediate vote to accept or reject the fuel hike.

Thus, the House was offered just two options: First, to vote on whether the related House commissions were able to hold further discussions with the government, or second, to immediately decide on its stance on the issue.

If the second option were chosen, another vote would have to be arranged on whether the House should accept or reject the policy.

Legislators from Megawati's party and the second largest faction in the House after Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), jumped up on the House's podium to protest the decision, and the gavel nearly caused Agung to be knocked out himself.

For the PDI-P, Agung's hasty action of pounding down the gavel to announce the two options meant Megawati had lost the perfect chance to humiliate the President, by annulling his decision to raise the fuel price. The National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) also supported the PDI-P's stance. Seeing the Speaker physically threatened, several Golkar legislators came to the rescue of their comrade.

Watching the brawl on TV, people might say,"Not only South Korean and Taiwanese legislators punch each other -- our own legislators are no less wild than them."

The other seven parties, including the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP) -- which are also against the price hike -- still prefer to hand the issue over to the House commissions, although they had previously reached a deadlock.

Agung succeeded in carrying out the mission of his party boss, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, to provide another opportunity for the government to reduce resistance against the fuel increase. If the PDI-P had succeeded in advancing its agenda, the House's rejection of the fuel policy would have been highly possible.

The House's fatal flaw may not be legislators' immaturity but that Agung lacks the trickery of his predecessor, Akbar Tandjung. His action was too blatant, though still acceptable in the eyes of the House. Unlike Akbar -- who was Golkar leader until December last year -- Agung has no grass roots support. He became speaker only with the support of Megawati and Akbar. While Akbar was Golkar leader, the two parties acted as the opposition to Susilo's government.

No doubt, Megawati knows full well that the fuel subsidy reduction is essential, and during her three-year ruling she introduced the same policy herself, though it was short-lived.

Not only her party, but other political parties agree with the rationale behind the fuel price decision, but in public they pretend that they are wholeheartedly against it, for their own interests.

Such an embarrassing performance by the legislators is very likely not going to be a one-off. It will happen again, every time the President is not able to reach a compromise when dealing with the House. It is natural for Agung to defend the government's position, although as speaker he is in fact expected to speak on behalf of the people. Perhaps the best option for him would be to learn from Akbar's strategy in tense times.

Megawati, who still hopes to be reelected as party leader at the PDI-P congress next week, also needs to learn from Akbar as to how to vent her anger and take revenge in a more sophisticated way.