Majority of House factions endorse investigation result
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)