Majority of House factions endorse investigation result
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives voted to endorse the result of the investigation into the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and Brunei financial scandals on Thursday.
A walkout by the 51-member National Awakening Party (PKB) faction marked the plenary session, which also saw the tiny Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) faction becoming the only political grouping to vote against the investigation result. PDKB was represented by four legislators.
In a plenary session which started at 9:30 a.m., the biggest faction, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), was given the first turn to state its view, read by former state minister of investment Laksamana Sukardi.
"PDI Perjuangan fully accepts the investigation result, and to avoid further instability the result should be followed with legal action. The House should also give a warning to the President," Laksamana said amid cheers from the floor.
According to the Constitution, the memorandum serves notice to the President to respond within three months. If the notice goes unheeded, the House can issue a second notice and give him another 30 days to act. If the second notice is also ignored, the House can ask the highest legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), to call a special session to impeach the President.
"I was appointed to read the statement because I was fired and slandered by him. I am the symbol of his lies," Laksamana said after the session.
The Golkar Party, in powerful words, said it approved the result because Abdurrahman had proven to have broken his oath as president, told lies to the public and had violated his main obligation to uphold clean and good governance.
"The House should issue a warning, a memorandum according to People Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree No.3/1978," faction spokesman Ahmad Hafiz Zawawi said.
The 58-member United Development Party (PPP) faction went further than suggesting merely a memorandum by recommending that the House call an MPR special session immediately.
"We recommend a special session of the MPR to impeach the President as he has violated his oath," PPP spokesperson Chodijah HM Saleh said.
Almost similar to PPP, the Reform faction recommended that the House issue a strong warning to the President in the form of a memorandum that could eventually lead to his impeachment.
"The report is acceptable and the House should issue a memorandum that could lead to a special session (of the MPR)," Achmad Farhan Hamid, the faction spokesman, said.
The Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction joined the chorus of acceptance by asking for a special session to insist upon the President's resignation.
Departing from its old tradition, the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police accepts the result of the investigation. However, it failed to come up with follow-up measures.
"TNI/Polri faction endorses the result and asks for proportional and constitutional measures to follow up the case," faction spokesman Ignatius Mulyono said.
The faction chief, Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, said his faction members were just doing their job as legislators. He said the stance could not be seen as proof that TNI had deserted the President.
"We are just doing our job as legislators, but the TNI chief and all the soldiers still stand behind the president, who ever that person may be," Hari told journalists during a break in the plenary session. (dja)