PPP to withdraw vocal legislator Sri Bintang
PPP to withdraw vocal legislator Sri Bintang
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Executive Board of the United Development Party (PPP) yesterday announced its intention to have one of its vocal legislators, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, withdrawn from the House of Representatives.
Party leaders told reporters that Bintang's persistence in questioning the validity of the state ideology, Pancasila, and the 1945 Constitution was viewed as a major transgression against the official party line, the Antara news agency reported.
"For the PPP, the questions of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution have been resolved. But Bintang has continued asking questions about them in official forums and at seminars," said Aisyah Amini, a member of both the PPP executive board and the House.
"We have warned him on many occasions since 1993, but he has continued to transgress," said Aisyah.
She and board deputy chairman Zein Badjeber jointly announced the decision yesterday after a four-hour plenary board meeting. Secretary General Tosari Wijaya was also present at the press briefing although he spoke little.
Bintang, an economist by training, has been the PPP's enfant terrible. His outspokenness in the House has increasingly made him a liability rather than an asset in the eyes of the largely conservative party leaders.
He was the star of the PPP during the 1992 election campaign, improving the party's image with young voters, and was duly rewarded with a seat in the House.
At the PPP's national congress last August, Bintang mounted a challenge against incumbent chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum in the leadership election, mobilizing his mainly youthful supporters.
He got into trouble last year when party leaders admonished him for speaking out against the presence of the military in the House. The party was forced to make a statement that Bintang's remarks on the issue reflected his own personal views and not the official party position.
He embarrassed the party again this month when he got into a heated argument with Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad during a House hearing.
Mar'ie was angered by Bintang's accusation that he had threatened the local press when, he said, he had done no such thing. Bintang remains adamant that a threat was made.
The incident was immediately reported to PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, who promised a thorough investigation.
In a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post last night, Bintang said his dismissal from the House did not surprise him because he had long sensed that it was coming.
He said that ever since he joined the PPP he had had different views from the party and the government on many issues.
Bintang recalled that during the 1992 election campaign he urged the government to be consistent about the 1945 Constitution and urged the Armed Forces to be neutral.
"I have long prepared myself for the worst case of being fired from the House," he said.
"There is nothing surprising about being 'recalled' because it is part of the political system."
He said that the political system had made House members from all factions loyal to the political organizations to which they belong rather than to the people they represent.
"I thought the PPP would become more independent. But it is becoming clear that it is increasingly dependent on the bureaucracy," he said.
The move comes in the wake of a move by Golkar, the dominant faction in the House, to have one of its own legislators, Bambang Warih Koesoemo, dismissed.
Golkar's request that Bambang be removed was submitted to House Speaker Wahono who, in turn, passed it on to President Soeharto, "with some additional notes."
Zein said the party's board would consult with the House leadership about the proposal to fire Bintang.
Asked whether the PPP would miss Bintang's presence, Zein replied sarcastically: "Yes, we'll miss one member. But we'll soon find a replacement." (emb/pan)