Reactions go on over phone tap
JAKARTA (JP): While the authenticity of a purported tapped conversation between President B.J. Habibie and Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib is yet to be proved, presidential aides have charged that individuals aiming to discredit the President masterminded the bugging.
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, the President's spokeswoman, said Saturday that if the bugging proved to be authentic, political rivals of Habibie were responsible.
"People who like him wouldn't do such a thing. It's very dirty political play", Dewi said after attending the sixth anniversary of the Center for Information and Development Studies, the think tank of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals formerly chaired by Habibie.
Declining to comment on the substance of the conversation, Dewi said that "whoever is behind this is controlling big assets and has access to do the dirty job".
While Ghalib has denied the voice on the recording is his, Habibie is yet to comment on the authenticity of the conversation.
At a Golkar function in Semarang on Friday, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung described the transcript, published in the Panji Masyarakat weekly, as a "leakage".
"Obviously those involved in the leakage intended, among other reasons, to discredit Pak Habibie's position as President".
Akbar added that even if the conversation were true, it was quite "normal".
Meanwhile, police are discussing the possibility of charging parties responsible for the latest edition of Panji Masyarakat, with the charge of disseminating untruthful information under a 1946 law.
As of Saturday, no information was available regarding the outcome of police investigation into the conversation's authenticity.
The transcript suggested that Habibie and Ghalib were discussing the progress of investigations into two businessmen who are staunch critics of the President. The person purported to be Ghalib explains in the transcript the unsuccessful attempt to deceive the public about the venue for the Soeharto investigation on Dec. 9.
Amien Rais, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), has suggested that if the conversation was authentic it indicated the government was not serious about investigating alleged corruption by former president Soeharto.
Dewi said it would be impossible for Habibie to be "unwilling and not serious", as the President had given his commitment to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Marzuki Darusman, the MPR deputy chairman who is also a deputy chairman of the dominant Golkar party, also shared Dewi's skepticism.
"I am not sure Habibie would want to postpone it (Soeharto's investigation). No, he would not, especially given his earlier promise (to complete the probe before the June 7 elections) together with the enormous public pressure."
"(There) is no reason to postpone it... it would be too risky if it was prolonged," he told The Jakarta Post. However, if later the conversation was proven authentic, Marzuki said it would be a "shocking" revelation.
He urged clarification on the authenticity of the taped conversation and the method whereby the transcript was leaked to the press.
Asked if an impeachment of Habibie by the MPR was possible over the alleged obstruction of justice, Marzuki said it would not be easy given the incomprehensibility of much of the alleged conversation.
Another legislator, Djufrie Asmoredjo of the United Development Party (PPP), concurred.
"Let's just wait and see," he said when asked if he and his fellow legislators at the House of Representatives would urge the MPR to summon Habibie over the possible obstruction of justice.
Adi Sasono, a Cabinet minister, also present in Semarang, said it was impossible to topple Habibie over the purported tapping. "Don't speculate that the tapping was meant to topple the President".
Law professor Dimyati Hartono said in Semarang that the State Secretariat should be held responsible and that the leakage reflected the country's "very weak" condition. (aan/gis/har)