Golkar 'rebels' join call for Akbar's suspension
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Cracks in the wall the Golkar Party has built up around its embattled leader Akbar Tanjung are becoming increasingly evident, as support from party legislators for the demanded suspension of the convicted House of Representatives speaker gains momentum.
At least 15 legislators from the second largest faction in the House have reportedly joined other lawmakers in signing a petition demanding that Akbar be suspended from the top post in the legislative body.
"The number may even be more than 15 members of the Golkar faction," Ariady Achmad, one of the signatories from the Akbar- led party, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Dwi Ria Latifa from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), who is one of those spearheading the anti-Akbar motion, confirmed that at least 15 of the 120 Golkar lawmakers had signed the petition.
"I have received information from fellow legislators in Golkar that at least 15 of their colleagues have joined with us," she told the Post separately on Tuesday.
Dwi said support from the Golkar legislators brought the number of anti-Akbar petition signatories to at least 118 legislators.
A petition containing only 68 signatures was submitted to the House last month demanding that Akbar be suspended as the body's speaker.
"Around 50 more legislators, including 15 from Golkar, have signed the petition. The number of signatories has now increased to 118," Dwi said.
People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais has said support from at least 150 signatories would be "significant", increasing pressure on the 500-member House to oust Akbar.
The 15 Golkar signatories included Ariady, deputy party leader Marwah Daud Ibrahim and two other legislators, Husni Thamrin and Sarwoko Soerjohoedojo.
Ariady declined to give the names of other Golkar lawmakers who supported the petition calling for Akbar to step aside temporarily after having been sentenced to three years in prison for corruption.
Akbar was found guilty last month by the Central Jakarta District Court of misappropriating Rp 40 billion in funds belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog). Many say the funds were used to help finance the Golkar campaign for the 1999 general election.
The convicted House speaker has remained free pending the outcome of his appeal and has defied mounting pressure to quit his post.
Marwah, who was the first senior Golkar legislator to bluntly urge Akbar to resign, confirmed she was among the petition signatories but refrained from naming others.
She warned that Akbar should relinquish his leadership in the House before November or otherwise he would be forced to quit or unseated.
Ariady also said other senior legislators from Golkar, including Fahmi Idris, Agung Laksono and Theo L. Sambuaga, were present at "two or three" meetings aimed at soliciting support for the suspension of Akbar.
"I'm not sure if they have signed (the petition) or not. But I believe they would do so," Ariady added.
He said such meetings involving Golkar politicians would be held "frequently" to discuss the "prospects of Golkar in response to this latest development" and in order to garner more support for the petition.
Akbar ally Marzuki Ahmad, chairman of the Golkar faction in the House, confirmed informal meetings of party legislators had taken place several times in order to "mobilize" backing for opposition against the House speaker.
"I know there have been meetings against Pak Akbar. But I have no knowledge about what they discussed," Marzuki said.
Commenting on the growing support within Golkar for the petition, he said: "It's a phenomenon of democracy in which anybody can express their aspirations freely. But if the party has taken a decision, all members must follow it. It's democracy".
Marzuki pledged he would never sign such a petition, saying: "As the chairman of the Golkar faction, it is impossible for me to do so."