The Bambang Warih case

The Bambang Warih case

The report which appeared in this newspaper yesterday that House Speaker Wahono endorsed the expulsion of Golkar legislator Bambang Warih Koesoemo from the House of Representatives (DPR) was inaccurate and a clarification is therefore due. What actually happened was that Wahono agreed to forward the Golkar proposal to have Bambang removed from the House of Representatives to President Soeharto for final approval.

The misleading element in the report was in that it made it appear that the House Speaker and his deputies endorsed Bambang's removal. The fact is that we really don't know the contents of Wahono's letter to the President, which reportedly contained some "additional considerations". Maybe it was an endorsement, maybe it wasn't. But somehow the impression may have been created that if the powerful executive board of a political organization has agreed to withdraw an enfant terrible from the House, it will be speedily done and that the House Speaker has nothing to do except to nod and forward the proposal to the President. We tend to forget that the House leadership has the obligation to keep its integrity intact and one should have no doubt that the current DPR leadership has shown a high standard of integrity.

Regarding Bambang Warih Koesoemo's case, from the very beginning -- since the issue surfaced last month -- certain irregularities could be detected. First, the reasons for the "midterm replacement" of Bambang Warih Koesoemo (to use the phrase used by the Golkar faction in the DPR) seem weak. The faction's leaders said that on a number of occasions, Bambang transgressed Golkar's official line. They also reported that Bambang had offended a number of cabinet ministers during various hearings in the House.

The fact that Bambang is outspoken is well known. That trait has made him the darling of the press because, unlike the majority of DPR members, he never hesitated to offer comments, or raise questions, concerning matters he considered relevant. He enlivened many House sessions with his daring questions.

One should not forget that it was Bambang, who asked the questions last Monday that resulted in State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie's stating that several of the strategic industries under his supervision, including IPTN and PT PAL, have been losing money. According to Habibie, these firms, therefore, need export credits to make them competitive in the international market.

We believe those questions won't constitute Bambang's last salvo, either.

It should be remembered that, in the midst of the nation's endeavor to speed up the democratization process, a person like Bambang can do much to improve the tattered image of the House. After all, the House is often called a "rubber-stamp legislature". And many people believe its members indulge in the in the "four D's" (datang, duduk, dengar, duit -- attend, sit, listen and collect money).

Several other questions could also be raised. When Bambang challenged the Golkar executive board to check the House records to see whether he really had made statements offensive to a number of cabinet ministers, his challenge went unanswered. Minister of Industry Tunky Aribowo, who is one of the ministers whom Bambang allegedly affronted by his remarks, has openly denied feeling offended.

Another question: Is Bambang's withdrawal being processed through the proper procedures? As far as we can remember, the House of Representatives has a ruling which stipulates that any proposal to replace (or recall) a member must be discussed first with the House Speaker. In Bambang's case, we get the impression that this may not have been done properly because Wahono has been quoted as saying that he first learned of Golkar's proposal to have the legislator removed from press reports. Those reports were published after a press conference organized by the Golkar faction to disclose Bambang's offenses.

With such questions perhaps still nagging at the public's minds, we tend to believe that Bambang's case should be viewed in a cautious way. The easiest thing to do, of course, is to first check the House records to see whether or not Bambang made offending remarks. Only after Bambang's sins have been confirmed could anyone express a fair judgment on the case. We do believe that the House Speaker has followed this simple procedure.

We believe that at stake here is not only the integrity of our House of Representatives, or that of its leaders, but also our respect for the principle of fair play. And, of course, one should not forget that on this case hinges one of the tests of our real and sincere will to strive for democracy. Fortunately we also believe that the Golkar board is well aware of those aspects of the case and that somehow its regard for those principles will be demonstrated.