Wahono urged to exonerate legislator
Wahono urged to exonerate legislator
By Santi WE Soekanto
JAKARTA (JP): A political observer has suggested that House Speaker Wahono be bold and not endorse the dismissal of outspoken Golkar member Bambang Warih Koesoemo.
"Wahono should side with the people, because Bambang, too, was siding with the people when he disclosed a major bad-debt scandal last year," Arbi Sanit, a staff lecturer at the University of Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Arbi suggested that Wahono first evaluate the list of Bambang's "political sins" that was put forward by Golkar leaders as the reason for his dismissal last week.
"If he believes that the list of accusations leveled against Bambang is not morally acceptable and that the dismissal has not followed the appropriate procedures, then he should be courageous enough not to forward the letter to President Soeharto," he said.
Arbi said that Wahono, who was once the Golkar party chairman, has nothing to lose politically in his current position. "If I were Wahono, I would use this condition to leave my mark and achieve something for myself," Arbi said.
Golkar leaders submitted to Wahono on Friday their request to withdraw Bambang from the House of Representatives (DPR). Another letter addressed to President Soeharto with a similar request was also given to Wahono, who was expected to forward it to the head of state.
Golkar leaders last week disclosed a list of Bambang's purported offenses to the press, including his "lack of manners" when dealing with cabinet ministers during hearings in the DPR.
Bambang has been accused of harshly criticizing and offending several cabinet ministers. Golkar leaders have charged that Bambang overstepped his bounds by demanding that Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief resign, something they consider a "violation of (party) principles". According to the group leaders, installing and discharging ministers is the President's prerogative.
Golkar leaders said the decision to dismiss Bambang Warih now rests entirely with Wahono, the only one with the authority to withhold the decree or refer it to President Soeharto.
"Wahono should learn from the Soedardji case," Arbi said, referring to a 1982 case brought by the party's executive board to dismiss the then chairman of the United Development Party's (PPP) representatives in the DPR.
At that time, the proposal of the PPP board was nullified when the then House Speaker Amir Machmud decided not to submit it to the President.
"As far as I know from the press reports, Golkar leaders have not followed the proper procedures in firing Bambang," he said.
Dr. Budyatna, dean of the University of Indonesia's School of Sociology and Political Sciences, on the other hand, believed the suggestion was far-fetched.
He told the Post that he believed Wahono would eventually forward the letter to President Soeharto and let Bambang be the fall guy in order to save the Golkar leaders from further embarrassment.
"We're talking about a culturally-nuanced political arena here," he said. "When Golkar leaders said they had consulted President Soeharto before issuing the dismissal decree, that meant they had his approval."
Both observers agreed, however, that it was the Golkar leaders who were "lacking in manners". Not only had they failed to observe the proper procedures before dismissing Bambang, they also engaged in a campaign of mudslinging by publicly disclosing a list of Bambang's supposed faults without notifying him.
"I think Bambang has every right to sue," Arbi said.
"Bambang was only doing his job...being critical of government officials -- that's his right," Budyatna said.