Manuevers against Golkar dangerous, Akbar threatens
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Detained Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung threatened on Saturday that political maneuverings against his party would only cost the country in its bid to emerge from the current crises.
Akbar, who is also the House of Representatives speaker, renewed his call for reconciliation among members of the political elite.
He said he issued his threat in an attempt to remind all parts of the nation, particularly the executive branch, of the People's Consultative Assembly decree No. V/2000 on the reinforcement of national integrity and unity.
"We wish to remind that during the time of suffering like this, political maneuverings to weaken one of the nation's strong elements are irrelevant and unproductive," he said in his statement read by Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono over the weekend.
Akbar's statement came two days before the House convenes to decide whether it approves a motion to set up a committee of inquiry, known as pansus, into Akbar's involvement in the scam.
So far the House's 10 factions are currently divided into two groups -- five are in support of the proposed establishment of pansus and five against.
The five supporting factions are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Reform faction, the Indonesian Nationhood and Unity faction and the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB).
Opposition comes from the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian Military/National Police, the Daulatul Ummat Party and the Crescent Star Party.
Another scandal involving Bulog last year led to the dismissal of then president Abdurrahman Wahid by the People's Consultative Assembly, who acted following two censures handed by the House. A year of tension between the House and Abdurrahman had preceded the political move.
Early last month, Akbar urged the need for all parts of the nation to bury the hatchet and switch their focus from pursuing group interests to working together to save the country.
Akbar was detained on March 7 to expedite the investigation by the Attorney General's Office into his involvement in the misuse of Rp 40 billion from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) when he was the minister/state secretary in 1999. The funds were supposed to finance a food for the poor program ordered by then president B.J. Habibie.
Akbar hinted that his implication in the alleged scam had been mixed up with political motives.
"Law enforcement, which is part of the reform agenda, has failed to bear fruit. Instead there has been an impression that the law is becoming a political tool," Akbar said.
His statement neglected to mention the fact that in the past, during the heyday of Golkar under former president Soeharto, the country's legal system served the political interests of the ruling regime.
Akbar said in his statement that the nation had been wasting a lot of its energy fighting against each other despite the unabated crises it was facing.
"It's regrettable that our energy and strength, which is already diminishing, is squandered for unnecessary political disputes that will result in a loss to everybody. We should have exercised our limited power to bring the country out of the crises," Akbar said.