Pressures mount on Akbar to resign
The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Pressure is mounting on House of Representatives' (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tanjung to temporarily relinquish his position after he was named a suspect in the Rp 40 billion (US$3.9 million) Bulog scandal.
Major political parties, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) demanded Akbar's temporary resignation on Tuesday.
However, saying they wanted justice to run its course through the court system, the parties said they were reluctant to deal with Akbar politically, namely through the establishment of a special House committee.
That the matter should proceed through the justice system, suits Akbar's Golkar Party, as the system is long, winding and difficult to predict.
"In a bid to establish a fair legal process, Akbar Tanjung should temporarily resign from his current position," PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Soetjipto said after the party's weekly meeting led by it chairwoman, President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Soetjipto added that the party may not support the establishment of the special committee and wanted to give the legal process a chance to proceed.
Similar positions were also aired by PAN and PKB. Unlike PDI Perjuangan, PKB demanded the establishment of the special committee.
The only big parties that do not demand Akbar's temporary resignation were the United Development Party (PPP) and surely Golkar which Akbar chairs.
PPP chairman Hamzah Haz, who is also vice president, supported Akbar in his decision to remain speaker of the house.
The stance raises suspicions that PPP is among a number of political parties to have received a slice of the Rp 40 billion, originating from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).
In fact, Golkar executive, Syamsul Muarif once said that all political parties contesting the 1999 elections, except the People's Democratic Party, received portions of the funds.
It is not surprising, therefore, that legislators on Tuesday did not go all out to question Akbar's position. Instead, they were busy formulating penalties for lazy legislators who were absent from most House sessions.
This gives Akbar, an experienced politician and long time servant of former autocrat Soeharto, a reason to defend his position.
Akbar, the first house speaker to be declared a suspect in a corruption case, remained defiant saying that he had strong grounds to maintain his position.
"All people should uphold the presumption of innocence principle. If the people understand this, they will have no reason to force me to leave my seat," he told reporters.
Akbar may follow the example of Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin, who maintains his position despite being named a suspect in another high-profile scam, the Bank Bali scandal.
Sjahril's trial is still proceeding at the Central Jakarta District Court.
This reality may draw questions among rank and file people: Could the country dream of having justice established and nurtured while important institutions such as the House and the central bank are being led by suspected corruptors and thieves?
Analysts on Tuesday questioned the morality of people suspected of crimes who maintained important positions.
Although there are no rules forcing them to relinquish their powerful positions, their moral responsibility and ethical conduct should force them to do so, analysts said.
"It's not a matter of the presumption of innocence principle, but an ethics matter," said Gadjah Madah University political analyst Afan Gaffar.
He said Akbar's resignation was a must to build people's confidence in the House of Representatives.