Akbar in detention

That the detention on Thursday of Akbar Tandjung, speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of the Golkar Party, elicited such raw skepticism from the public of the government's true intentions, speaks volumes about the current psyche of the Indonesian people.

After all, ever since the movement for democratic reform got going in 1998 and views could be aired freely, Indonesians have been clamoring for justice -- and especially for the corrupt.

Akbar's detention could have been interpreted as a logical development, coming as it did so quickly on the heels of the detention of Rahardi Ramelan, the former head of the national logistics agency, Bulog, in connection with the same case.

The scandal involved suspected the misapplication of tens of billions of rupiah, dispensed at Rahardi's controversial orders.

At present, Akbar, who was minister/state secretary under president B.J. Habibie, is alleged to have misused Rp 40 billion of that money -- intended for the distribution of food packages to the poor. But investigators have been unable to trace the money to any kind of food distribution.

Also detained on Thursday was Dadang Sukandar, chairman of the Raudatul Jannah Foundation, which Akbar had picked to administer the program, along with project contractor Winfried Simatupang.

On the surface, it seems as if everything has gone according to the rules of the game. However, questions start to emerge when one considers the political implications of Akbar's detention.

After all, Akbar, besides being the speaker of the House of Representatives, is also chairman of Golkar. His party has the second-largest faction in the legislature, and is a major backer of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's government.

There can be no doubt at all that the threats Golkar leaders have been making that the party might withdraw that backing and pull out of the cabinet in case Akbar was arrested has been heard clearly in the meeting rooms of Megawati's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

The same goes for the United Development Party (PPP), whose chairman is Vice President Hamzah Haz.

It is for these fears, analysts believe, that the two parties have been stalling in the formation of a special parliamentary committee to investigate the suspected scam, known as Bulogate II.

Keeping Akbar in custody, at least for the time being, could help them keep up the appearance of being true reformist parties going all the way to stamp out corruption, while evading an immediate decision on investigating the case in the legislature.

For all parties involved, however, there are political risks as well as opportunities to consider in handling this increasingly complex case.

Megawati's party, the PDI Perjuangan and the PPP could lose Golkar's support, both in government and in the national legislature, if they persist in unraveling the Bulogate II case to its roots, as the public would like to see.

On the other hand, staying resolute and proving to their constituents that they are serious about eradicating corruption could enhance their image as reformist parties.

To achieve this, however, President Megawati must reach out to the Indonesian public, and explain her moves and motivations concerning the matter.

As for Golkar, it is doubtful that this party's stubborn opposition, and even rejection of Akbar's detention, will do the party any good in the longer term -- say, in the 2004 general elections.

Nor can it say, for certain, that withdrawing from the cabinet would not weaken its chances in the coming elections. Rather than resisting and making all kinds of threats, the party would do much better by using this touchy situation to institute the badly needed reforms.

Finally, to Akbar's credit, it must be said that he seems to be complying with the law.

As one of his confidants, Hafiz Zawawi, explained it to press, "Akbar has complied with the law, and has asked his party executives to follow the law in their legal efforts, and refrain from tarnishing the party's image."

Sounds sensible enough. Let's hope that his advice is heeded by his fellow Golkar members.