Golkar legislators foils investigation of Akbar
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Legislators from the Golkar Party successfully foiled attempts on Wednesday to create a House of Representatives (DPR) committee to examine alleged corruption involving House speaker and Golkar party Chairman Akbar Tandjung.
During a meeting of the House Consultative Body (Bamus), Golkar lawmakers employed a filibuster tactic by focussing the issue away from a possible investigation through lengthy debates on the interpretation of the new House regulations regarding Bamus membership.
Golkar legislator Hajriyanto Y. Thohari argued that there were significant differences between the old and new DPR regulations.
"In the new House regulations, there are no substitute members like in the old regulations, while the factions in the House, with the exception of Golkar, still observe the old regulations," he told The Jakarta Post.
He said the new rules went into effect on Oct. 16.
Because of the different interpretations of the internal DPR rules, Bamus agreed to adjourn the meeting until Dec. 6 to give ample time for representatives of all factions to discuss and resolve differences in interpreting the new regulations.
Wednesday's meeting was originally convened to decide on a motion to create an investigatory committee, which was filed earlier by over 50 legislators during the House's plenary session.
The motion, filed prior to the House recess in October, called for the creation of a House special committee to investigate alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion (about US$4 million) from State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds by Akbar.
Akbar, is accused of possibly funneling the Bulog money into Golkar campaign activities, using his position as minister/state secretary under former president B.J. Habibie in 1988 and 1999.
The Attorney General's Office has summoned Akbar twice recently for questioning in its ongoing investigation.
Akbar has denied any wrongdoing in the case dubbed Buloggate II.
Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Panda Nababan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) expressed disappointment over the delay.
Ali Masykur blamed the House secretariat for placing the Buloggate issue as the fourth item to be debated during Wednesday's meeting, after discussing the nomination of Comr. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar as National Police chief, the nomination of Bank Indonesia deputy governors and new members of Bamus.
"We agreed on Nov. 22 that the issue would become the top priority in today's meeting. I don't know why it was put down to fourth," Ali said, adding that it was an obvious delay tactic by Golkar.
DPR Deputy Speaker Tosari Widjaja told the press after the meeting that the decision on when Buloggate II would be debated during a plenary meeting will be decided on Dec. 6, at the next Bamus meeting.
Another PKB legislator Amin Said Husni said the Bulog scandal had been discussed in Wednesday's meeting, but only PKB and PDI Perjuangan factions had expressed their views, while other factions would have to wait until Dec. 6.
Amin said his faction still hopes that the formation of the House special committee would be decided by the plenary session before Idul Fitri which falls on Dec. 16 and 17.
Legislators from PKB, a party founded by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, have taken the lead in the formation of a special committee to investigate the Bulog scandal.
Abdurrahman lost his hold on power when members of the DPR in July essentially gave him a no-confidence vote. Most of the legal moves in his ouster began with speculation that he also allegedly was linked to missing Bulog funds. He was later exonerated of any wrongdoing.