Bambang's fate to be decided today

Bambang's fate to be decided today

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the House of Representatives (DPR)
are expected to make a decision today on Golkar's proposal to
expel its outspoken House member Bambang Warih Koesoemo.

The dominant political grouping, however, is certain that
House Speaker Wahono will make a ruling in Golkar's favor.

Golkar Deputy chairman Agung Laksono said last night that even
though Wahono alone has the authority to endorse the proposal, he
will inevitably support Golkar's decision.

"I am sure he will make a ruling which supports Golkar's
decision," he told The Jakarta Post during a gathering to
commemorate Golkar's 27th anniversary in the DPR. "There is no
strong reason to issue a different ruling."

Wahono was conspicuously absent from the gathering.

"I believe that the political decision of Golkar (to remove
Bambang from his legislative post) has solid reasons. There are
grounds for it and I believe that tomorrow's decision by the DPR
leaders will be the same," he said.

Agung rejected the suggestion that Wahono might surprise
Golkar by taking a different stance on the matter. Such
speculation was once considered a possibility after Wahono showed
signs of reluctance to have Bambang removed.

"Wahono is indeed the House Speaker, but he is also a cadre of
Golkar," Agung said. "We believe he will rule in our favor."

Another prominent member of Golkar, however, expressed
dissatisfaction with the grouping's ruling on Bambang, who many
feel was fired because of his disclosure of a major bad loan
scandal.

Marzuki Darusman, former Golkar legislator and currently vice
chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, said he
could not accept the fact that Bambang was dismissed for such a
trivial reason as having "offended ministers".

"If he was guilty of that charge, leaders of the commissions
in which he was speaking with the ministers should have
reprimanded him at the time," Marzuki said. "Those commission
leaders never did, and all of a sudden, Golkar leaders are using
those accusations as grounds to dismiss him."

Agung insisted that Golkar's central executive board had
followed all procedures in dealing with Bambang's case.

"Dismissing a legislator is not something ordinary," Agung
said. "We didn't want it to happen, because it was not going to
benefit anybody."

"However, this is a political decision that has been taken
under much consideration and especially addresses the
undisciplined actions of Golkar members. Every organization has
its own rules, and so does Golkar," he said. (swe)