Move to question Megawati gains support
Move to question Megawati gains support
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The motion to question President Megawati Soekarnoputri over her
approval of the controversial sale of state-owned
telecommunications company PT Indosat gained greater momentum on
Monday as more members of the House of Representatives (DPR)
agreed to the initiative.
More than 70 members of the House contended that the
divestment of government shares in PT Indosat should have been
first approved by legislators before its majority shares were
sold to Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT).
The government sold 41.9 percent of its stake in PT Indosat to
STT in December as part of its efforts to finance the country's
2003 State Budget.
The acquisition of PT Indosat by STT, however, has drawn
strong criticism from the public, particularly members of the
House of Representatives (DPR) who suspected that some part of
the funds would be channeled to certain political parties to
finance their campaigns for the 2004 general elections.
Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB)
attested on Monday that over 70 legislators had signed the motion
to interpellate the acquisition of majority shares in PT Indosat
by STT.
One of its initiators, Rosyid Hidayat of the National Mandate
Party (PAN), said that the motion was intended to give the
general public a better understanding on the divestment process
of PT Indosat.
"There are many dubious aspects in the divestment process that
need explanation regarding the sales value," Rosyid said.
In regards public resentment towards the privatization of PT
Indosat, he said that there had been many protests, particularly
by the company's employees, against the state asset sales to STT.
Rosyid denied allegations that the motion was intended as
another effort to impeach the president and that it would
create political furor.
Achmad Muqowwam of the United Development Party (PPP) said
that the motion, in fact, was designed to ask for the
government's accountability on the fair and transparent sales of
the state assets.
"We want to know if there has been KKN (corruption, collusion
and nepotism) involved in the mechanism and procedure of the
divestment," Muqowwam said.
"God willing, this will not become another impeachment process
against the President, because we are guided by political
ethics," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
In mid-April last year, a number of legislators also signed a
petition seeking Megawati's explanation on the use of non-
budgetary funds to renovate housing for the Indonesian military
(TNI) and the police, but failed in their efforts as the move did
not receive support from fellow legislators.