'Akbar detention won't shake the government'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is putting a brave face on the worst of the consequences that could occur following the detention of House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung over graft allegations, saying the country's political stability would remain intact.

"The President has not seen any sign that the detention will shake the current government," Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters after a meeting with President Megawati at her office on Friday.

Megawati called the meeting, which aimed to discuss the possible adverse consequences of Akbar's incarceration on political stability.

According to Susilo, those discontent with the detention of Akbar must convey their aspirations through legitimate and proper political channels, in order not to destabilize the nation.

Megawati was responding to mounting pressure from several executives within the Golkar Party, who asked ministers from the party to abandon the Cabinet and initiate a national boycott.

Among those making the threats were State Minister for Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif and Priyo Budi Santoso, a Golkar legislator.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and State Minister of Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Sumarjoto are other Golkar functionaries who hold ministerial posts.

As a former ruling party for more than three decades, Golkar dominates the bureaucracy.

Golkar executives have accused Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) of masterminding a concerted character assassination of Akbar by applying pressure on the Attorney General's Office to detain the Golkar chief.

Hafiz Zawawi, another Golkar executive, said Akbar's detention was politically motivated, and therefore the party should make "a measured retaliatory move."

"The Golkar Party must consider a pull-out from the Cabinet and act as an opposition party," he said.

Vice President Hamzah Haz, meanwhile, tried to appease the angry Golkar camp.

Hamzah suggested that Golkar executives maintain their composure in response to Akbar's detention.

"All parties should be respectful of legal procedures, and it would be better not to react in an irrational way. Should the Golkar Party do that (a national boycott), it would only hurt the party's image before the people," said Hamzah, who also chairs the United Development Party (PPP), on Friday.

Hamzah said anybody could experience what had happened to Akbar.

Akbar, a suspect in the alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion in funds belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) when he was the minister/state secretary in 1999, was placed in the custody of the Attorney General's Office for 20 days to help speed up the investigation.

His detention came as a surprise, with Akbar initially putting up a fight and trying to leave the Attorney General's Office when he was asked to sign documents relating to his arrest on Thursday.

Akbar is the most prominent, active state official ever detained over corruption charges since deputy People's Consultative Assembly speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita last year. Ginandjar, a suspect in a graft case involving state oil company Pertamina, is facing detention again after the Supreme Court asked state prosecutors to resume investigations into the case.

However, not all Golkar executives lost their composure and suggested drastic moves.

Several executives of the party defied the extreme stance. They said withdrawal of Golkar's ministers from the Cabinet and a national boycott would be counterproductive.

"The emotional attitude will only create political instability, and this will adversely affect our economic recovery efforts. Besides, the moves will further tarnish Golkar's image due to our failure to provide people with political education," said Fahmi Idris, one of Akbar's confidants.

According to Fahmi, those emotional calls did not represent Golkar. He maintained that the party would seek an elegant solution to the case.

Fahmi said Golkar would hold an executive meeting immediately, at which the party would come up with a common stance in dealing with the tug-of-war within the party.