Leading from a detention cell

Leading from a detention cell

He must be an extraordinary person to be able to lead a
political party from a detention cell. The speaker of the House
of Representatives (DPR), Akbar Tandjung, is not an ordinary
person for he is also the general chairman of the country's
second largest political party, the Golkar Party, as well as
having once served as secretary of state under former president
Habibie.

When he was secretary of state, Akbar was bold enough to
request Rp 50 billion from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to
alleviate the suffering of people in a number of provinces, which
was approved by then president Habibie. It was later found out
that the money never reached the needy people and disappeared
into the pockets of party officials.

Following police investigations and endless testimonies by
people associated with Bulog, it was discovered that the money
had been safely deposited in a bank and has been almost
fully returned to the state after Akbar and his associates were
arrested.

There are voices from outside Golkar urging Akbar Tandjung to
resign his post as chairman of the Golkar party and there are a
great number of legislators also calling him to step down as
House speaker.

Apparently, not only can Akbar run his party from a detention
cell at the Attorney General's Office, but he may as well
influence House deliberations, committee meetings and lobbying
practices from the same place, perhaps using a mobile phone
assisted by members of his family who are the only people allowed
to meet him each day.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta