Taufik's state role queried

Taufik's state role queried

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The appointment of Taufik Kiemas as a special envoy during a
ministerial visit to China is a classic conflict of interest in
relation to his role as the President's husband, a legislator and
businessman, a government critic said on Friday.

Coordinator of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) Teten
Masduki said that President Megawati Soekarnoputri should explain
to the public why she appointed her husband for a state job.

"Why didn't she appoint somebody else?" said Teten.

The first family came under public scrutiny after Taufik led a
delegation of economic ministers to China last week. High on the
agenda was talks on Natural Liquefied Gas (LNG) deals and the
reopening of the Bank of China in Indonesia.

Taufik, an established businessman who has made his millions
through the operation of gasoline stations, is a legislator from
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
which is led by Megawati.

"I think the visit only benefits Taufik and his associates,"
Teten told The Jakarta Post. He added that the public should be
skeptical and must monitor how Taufik's business does after the
visit.

Critics have demanded that Taufik quit his legislative post,
otherwise being the President's husband he has a conflict of
interest.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda came
out in defense of Taufik's appointment on the grounds that it is
the President's prerogative to appoint anybody as the country's
special envoy.

"There are no regulations on the matter. The President has the
prerogative to appoint anybody for the special mission with
limited substance and target," Hassan said after meeting
MeGawati.

Taufik's visit to China was a follow up to the earlier State
visit of Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji to Jakarta.

"It (Taufik's visit) was an official visit and on behalf of
the Indonesian government," Hassan said after a long pause before
answering the question.

Since Megawati's rise to presidency, many people have
suspected that Taufik would take advantage of her position for
his business interests.

Aware of public scrutiny, Megawati announced in the early days
in office that she had asked Taufik and the rest of her family to
stay clear of business and of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

However, just a few weeks later, Taufik, who owns dozens of
gas stations in the capital, asked for more credit from a bank to
expand his family business.

Taufik has often contended that he has no intention of
quitting his legislative post because, he claims, he has already
given up his business.

Roy B. B. Janis, chairman of PDI Perjuangan faction in the
House, said he had also questioned Taufik's visit.

He was told that Taufik's role in the Chinese visit was to
keep good relations between the two countries.

"The family of president Sukarno (Megawati's father) was
highly respected in China. Taufik only acted as a liaison
officer," Roy told The Jakarta Post.

Roy brushed aside fears that Taufik would exploit his wife's
position for personal gain.