Golkar lobbies to stymie plans for special committee to probe Akbar

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Golkar's well-oiled political machinery again showed its guile on Tuesday as it attempted to thwart the setting up a special legislative committee into the Bulog scandal, advocating instead a more tedious, but less politically damaging, legal process through the courts.

While the establishment of a House of Representative's special committee into graft allegedly committed by Golkar chairman and House Speaker Akbar Tandjung remains on the table there were already signs that Golkar's lobbying may be succeeding.

There are strong signals that major political factions are swaying ahead of Thursday's meeting of the House's consultative body to determine the necessity of the special committee.

Golkar's inner circle has been working full time to sway opinion and distance itself from the case.

Senior party member Syamsul Muarif said on Tuesday that the party fully supported legal proceedings on the matter, but stressed that if the case went to court, people must make a distinction between Akbar as current Golkar chairman, and Akbar as state secretary when the crime was allegedly committed.

"People should learn to differentiate," Syamsul insisted, while adding that people should not perceive it as a wrongdoing committed by Golkar.

"The case basically concerns former president Habibie's administration," Syamsul, who is also state minister of communications and information, told The Jakarta Post.

The scam revolves around Akbar's alleged misuse, while as secretary of state, of Rp 40 billion in funds from State Logistics Agency (Bulog) which were said to be used for a poverty alleviation program.

However there are suspicions that the money found its way into Golkar's coffers during the 1999 General Elections.

Akbar, who was elected Golkar chairman in 1998, has maintained his innocence and claims that the Bulog money had been handed over to a private foundation for distribution of aid to the poor.

Syamsul pointed out that the scandal had nothing to do with the party which has also been audited.

"Golkar will heed the outcome of legal procedures and should Pak Akbar be found guilty then we will accept it," he said.

"But we maintain our stance in rejecting the establishment of a special committee," he added.

Syamsul contended that the House had no authority to investigate the scam because it involved misdemeanors of a previous government.

"The House only has the authority to control the current government and not a past administration," he argued, adding that the whole affair was a political setup by disgruntled Golkar members who felt Akbar betrayed then president B.J. Habibie in his 1999 election bid.

The establishment and findings of a House special committee would also have greater political repercussions for Golkar as a whole as it prepares for the 2004 elections.

Even though some 50 legislators from various factions had petitioned for the establishment of a special committee on the matter, on Thursday the critical issue will be the stance of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) as the largest faction in the House.

PDI Perjuangan has 153-seats in the 500-member legislature.

After a meeting of the PDI Perjuangan leadership, which included Megawati Soekarnoputri, here on Tuesday, the party officially maintains that it supports both legal proceedings and the special committee.

But remarks by Roy B.B. Janis, PDI Perjuangan faction chairman at the House, left room for speculation. "If the legal procedure goes in accordance with the public's wishes, then aspirations to form special committee will not be the priority anymore, he said."

Separately, Attorney General MA Rachman revealed that his office had still not found any evidence that the Bulog funds had actually been used to buy basic commodities for the poor in 1999.

"From our random check in nearby provinces, there has been no proof that locals received basic commodities from the foundation in question," Rachman told reporters at his office.

Rachman also said prosecutors Manaf Zubaidi and Santoso would fly to Germany on Friday to question Habibie who is said to have given instructions to disburse the Bulog funds.