Legislators move to summon Megawati

Legislators move to summon Megawati

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After months of verbal threats, a number of legislators finally
submitted on Friday a petition demanding that President Megawati
Soekarnoputri reveal the source of Rp 30 billion in funds she
donated to the Indonesian military (TNI) and police in February.

The petition, signed by 48 legislators from six factions of
the House of Representatives (DPR), was submitted to deputy House
spokesman A.M. Fatwa.

Factions asking that the House exercise its right of enquiry
were the Reform, United Development (FPP), Daulatul Ummat,
National Awakening, Golkar, and the Democracy and Love the Nation
factions.

"We hope the President will give the House the necessary
clarification (on the source of the donation)," said PPP
legislator Djamal Doa, chief author of the petition.

The House will now decide whether or not to endorse the
petition, which is likely to undermine Megawati's campaign to
bring big-time corruptors to justice.

Megawati donated Rp 30 billion to the TNI and police in
February for renovation of their dormitories and housing
complexes.

Djamal Doa said on Friday that the petition had been triggered
by the government's confusing explanation of the source of the
funds as both the presidential office and state budget made no
allocation for rehabilitation of TNI and police housing and
dormitories.

The government, through State Secretary Bambang Kesowo, said
earlier that the funds had been taken from the Presidential Aid
Fund (Banpres), but legislators contented that the fund had been
scrapped a long time ago.