'Elite conspire to preserve corruption'

A'an Suryana and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Political observers lashed out on Saturday at what they saw as a conspiracy to save House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, a suspect in a Rp 40 billion scandal involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), from facing the music, saying the move would severely erode public confidence and support in any future anticorruption initiatives.

"The move to drop the House investigation against Akbar proves that our legislators focus only on their own immediate and short- term interests," senior researcher J. Kristiadi, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

"If politicians fail to put this case on the right track, public trust in the government and politicians will vanish, and this will be bad for the country's efforts to eradicate corruption," he added.

Kristiadi was asked to comment on statements made by major parties in the House of Representatives on Friday that there was no urgent need to establish a House investigation committee to look into alleged corruption by Akbar, who is also the chairman of Golkar, the second biggest faction, with 120 members in the House.

The statements come just three days before the House is scheduled to hold a plenary session on Monday to decide whether or not it will set up an investigation team to question Akbar.

However, virtually all the major parties in the House said on Friday that Akbar's case should be resolved through legal channels only, and that a House inquiry was no longer needed, after Akbar had been charged as a suspect by the Attorney General's Office.

Their statements constitute an about-face as most factions, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which is chaired by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, had earlier agreed to set up an inquiry team to investigate Akbar.

PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Sutjipto said during his visit to Cairo that his party would thwart any attempt to set up a committee of inquiry.

PDI Perjuangan's apparent about face was still in question as Sutjipto's remark was denied by deputy secretary of the PDI Perjuangan faction Firman Jaya Daeli who said that Sutjipto's statement did not represent the stance of his party.

"The statement should not be seen as our official position. The different opinions only reflect the maturity of our party," Firman told the Post here on Sunday.

Firman, one of the 50 legislators who support a committee of inquiry, said that it is still possible for PDI Perjuangan to change its stance.

He said the official position of his faction would depend on two aspects. The quality of the ongoing legal proceedings against Akbar by the Attorney General's Office, and the explanation to be presented by the legislators on Monday.

"We will continue to endorse the proposal to set up an inquiry team if the explanation is reasonable and relevant," Firman added.

Meanwhile, Arbi Sanit, a lecturer at the State University of Indonesia, said that if the about face was true, it was the result of "pork barrel politics".

"By dropping the plan for the House to investigate Akbar, members of the elite are not only saving Akbar but also themselves as they have also received money from Bulog," Arbi said.

A Golkar executive had said earlier that only two parties had not received Bulog money, namely the left-wing People's Democratic Party (PRD) and the Muslim-based Justice Party (PK).

Arbi said Akbar could have blackmailed Megawati during their recent meeting by threatening to disclose that her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and other big parties had also received money from Bulog if the PDI Perjuangan pressed ahead with the establishment of a House inquiry team.

PDI Perjuangan is the biggest faction in the House with 153 members.

Arbi said that the public had hoped the elite would become role models and be front-runners in the country's drive to combat corruption.

"However, this expectation has faded away since the elite are turning around to protect a person who was strongly suspected of being involved in corruption," he said.

According to Kristiadi, the establishment of a committee of inquiry was important to show the public that the political elite could be held accountable before the people for all of their actions.

Kristiadi said that the setting up of a House inquiry team could benefit Golkar.

"By establishing an inquiry team, Akbar could prove that he is innocent. But, he and his party have rejected the move, raising public suspicions that there is some fire behind the smoke," he said.

"A political leader must be held accountable for all of his actions as he is elected by the public," he said, adding that accountability was essential to democracy.

Arbi said that Akbar must not only be subjected to a legal process, but also a political process.

"That would distinguish him from the man in the street," he added.