Public pressure grows for Akbar to resign

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The heat has turned up a notch on Golkar chairman and House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung -- a suspect in a high-profile corruption case -- to delegate his authority to his deputies in the House pending the results of the ongoing investigation.

"It would be wise for Akbar to temporarily quit his post as House speaker and delegate his authorities to his deputies. Otherwise, it will further taint the already tarnished image of the DPR for allowing itself to be led by a detained person suspected of corruption," chairman of the Justice Party (PK) Hidayat Nurwahid said after a ceremony marking the inauguration of key party executives at the East Jakarta Youth Center on Sunday.

Akbar, who was declared a suspect in the Bulog scandal last month, was remanded in custody at the detention center in the Attorney General's Office compound last Thursday.

In addition to Akbar, the office has also detained fellow suspects former Bulog chairman Rahardi Ramelan; chairman of Raudlatul Jannah Foundation, which was supposedly responsible for the distribution of food aid to the poor in 1999, Dadang Sukandar; and the contractor who was supposedly tasked with the distribution of the aid, Winfried Simatupang.

Despite the detention, the public have questioned the seriousness of the government in dealing thoroughly with the case. Past experiences show, for example, that even though Bank of Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin was declared a suspect in a banking scandal, he has never indicated his intention to resign.

Public figures and analysts have stepped up their demands for Akbar to relinquish or suspend his post at the House.

They also argued that the corruption allegations leveled against Akbar and his subsequent detention have put into question his moral authority to lead the House, one of the country's highest state institutions.

"How can this country be led by a corruption suspect who may soon become a convicted criminal?", Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) chairman Teten Masduki asked on Saturday.

According to Teten -- who is also a member of the National Ombudsman Commission -- from the ethical and political point of view, Akbar should resign from his post as House speaker.

"If the files on Akbar's corruption case are already completed and submitted to the court, Akbar has to resign from the House," Teten was quoted by Antara as saying.

Mulyana W. Kusumah, a lecturer at state-owned University of Indonesia (UI), agreed with Teten, saying that Akbar's resignation would facilitate the legal process at the Attorney General's Office.

"It (resignation) will show Akbar's political accountability to the public," Mulyana told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Akbar, a suspect in a Rp 54.6 billion financial scandal involving State Logistics Agency (Bulog), has been detained by the Attorney General's Office since Thursday, making him the highest official to be arrested in the government's faltering attempts to wipe out corruption, collusion and nepotism, which is widely blamed for the country's protracted economic crisis.

Most factions in the House, including that of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), have rejected demands for the dismissal of the disgraced Golkar chairman, arguing that Akbar's detention would not affect activities in the House. They also urged the public at large not to exaggerate Akbar's alleged corruption.

The House's internal rules do not include procedures on dealing with leaders if they are declared suspects in criminal cases.

But according to National Ombudsman Commission chairman Anton Sujata, the post of House chairman is a political position that requires high ethics and moral standards.

"Unlike civil servants, a politician with Akbar's caliber should have a high standard of political ethics," Anton said, Antara reported Saturday.

UI sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo also called for Akbar's resignation, saying that the move would help the House concentrate on its legislation program.

"The House will be more effective if Akbar quits his post. Once Akbar leaves his post, legislators will be able to focus on their legislation agenda," Imam added.