Golkar threatens to withdraw support for govt

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Golkar Party has threatened to withdraw its support for President Megawati Soekarnoputri if her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) backed moves to create a House of Representatives' special committee to investigate House Speaker and Golkar Chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Golkar legislator Antony Z. Abidin said on Sunday that the withdrawal of Golkar support for Megawati's leadership has been discussed among party leaders as an expression of their disappointment with PDI Perjuangan legislators who strongly supported the creation of the so-called Buloggate II Special Committee.

"The establishment of a special House Committee to investigate Buloggate II would be a character assassination against Akbar Tandjung and Golkar ahead of general elections in 2004," Antony was quoted by Antara as saying.

Megawati took over the national leadership in July riding a wave of support from a rainbow coalition united against former president Abdurrahman Wahid. Members of that coalition included Golkar, the second largest faction in both the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest legislative body, and the House of Representatives (DPR).

"The national political structure built as a result of the 2001 Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly is quite strong. But it will change if the plan to set up the special committee on Buloggate II is carried out," Antony warned.

The House Consultative Body (Bamus) will decide on Dec. 6 whether it will set up the committee or not. The possible committee will be tasked to investigate Akbar's alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion of State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds when he served as a minister/state secretary, a Cabinet level post, in 1999.

The petition, which was submitted by some 50 legislators from various factions, was endorsed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) and approximately half of the members of PDI Perjuangan. If both factions unite they could control as many as 204 seats in the 500-seat House.

In two previous meetings (Nov. 22 and Nov. 29), PDI Perjuangan, which has 153 seats in DPR, and one-time ally, the National Awakening Party (PKB) with 51 representatives, expressed strong support for the establishment of the Buloggate II committee.

Being the largest faction in DPR and the "ruling party", PDI Perjuangan's stance on the issue could be decisive.

According to Antony, the administration of Megawati would be badly shaken should Golkar decide to withdraw its support along with its 120 DPR votes.

On Saturday, Golkar legislator Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa said Golkar would propose an inquiry into irregularities concerning the election fund in 1999 in a bid to foil attempts to set up the Buloggate II committee.

"This would be our revenge. We will announce it at the appropriate time," Agun told The Jakarta Post.

The proposal to set up a special committee should be prevented because it will only aggravate disputes among factions in the House, he said.

Political disputes among the parties will also affect the management of state affairs.

"How can the government carry out its duties if the House factions continue their dispute?" Agun warned.

Meanwhile, PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Sutjipto said on Saturday that his party would leave it up to individual members in the House to decide on whether or not the House creates an investigation of Akbar.

"The executive board of PDI Perjuangan gives full authority to its faction members in the House," said Sutjipto during his visit to Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday.

Sutjipto added that the official position of his party would be announced at a plenary meeting of the House during which the party would also announce its stance on the corollary issue of whether or not Akbar should be dismissed from his post as House speaker.

At present there have been 15 special committees assigned to investigate different cases, including state oil firm Pertamina and the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Loans (BLBI).

According to Agun, the proposal from the 50 legislators was targeted at dissolving the Golkar Party so that it could not contest the 2004 elections.

Earlier this year, Golkar had been instrumental in the setting up of a similar committee that led to the ousting of president Abdurrahman Wahid, the founder of PKB.