Golkar fires legislator for being to outspoken

Golkar fires legislator for being to outspoken

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling Golkar party withdrew one of its most outspoken legislators, Bambang Warih Koesoemo, yesterday for his habit of deviating from official lines.

Moestahid Astari, the chairman of the Golkar faction at the House of Representatives (DPR), said Golkar's executive board had been monitoring Bambang's conduct for the last two years before deciding to fire him.

"Bambang, as a Golkar cadre, has failed to follow the organization's policies," said Moestahid, who was accompanied by Golkar deputy chairmen Abdul Gafur and Agung Laksono, in a press briefing.

Moestahid declined to specify how Bambang had deviated from Golkar policy.

"This decision is the result of two years of observation," Moestahid said. "He was not withdrawn because I as the faction chairman don't like him. My predecessor Usman Hasan also assessed his conduct."

Bambang Warih is well known for his daring efforts to expose the bad debt of textile company Kanindo Group, which is owned by tycoon Robby Tjahjadi, one of Golkar's donors.

When the bad debt was a burning national issue early last year, Golkar leaders defended Robby's business record and he escaped legal action.

Bambang claimed that Kanindo's debt was even larger than the US$620 million owed by the Golden Key Group. Golden Key's owner Eddy Tansil has since been sentenced to 20 years in jail for his credit scandal.

Harmoko said in October that he would not withdraw any Golkar members from the House. The Antara news agency reported yesterday that he refused to explain Bambang's dismissal and instead, asked Moestahid to meet the press.

Critics say that such "recalling" of legislators from the House is an effective tool to keep members of Golkar and the two other political parties, PDI and PPP, in check.

According to Moestahid, the decision to withdraw Bambang was taken by the board of executives after it held a meeting last Friday with the East Java legislative council. Bambang was the Golkar representative to the House from the East Java constituency.

"The board will soon issue a decree for the withdrawal. It will then appoint his replacement and report to the President Soeharto," Moestahid said. Soeharto is chairman of Golkar's Board of Patrons. (swe)