Yusril owns up to taking Rp 1b from Habibie

Yusril owns up to taking Rp 1b from Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman Yusril Ihza
Mahendra acknowledged on Friday accepting Rp 1 billion from then
president B.J. Habibie to help finance the newly established
party prior to the 1999 general election.

Yusril said his party received a total of Rp 2.9 billion in
financial assistance -- including Rp 1.57 billion in donations
from supporters and the Rp 1 billion from Habibie -- since its
founding in July 1998.

"All the funds were used to finance the party's programs,
especially during the 1999 general election," he said in his
accountability speech at the party's congress here on Friday.

An unabashed Yusril, who is the minister of law and
legislation, defended the action.

He said Habibie's contribution was not illegal because it was
donated prior to the implementation of the 1999 law on political
parties which regulates campaign contributions.

"Please, give me evidence that the financial assistance was
against the law. I'm ready to undergo a police investigation into
it," he said.

"Besides, many other parties received funds from the former
president too." He did not identify the parties.

Yusril denied last year allegations he received some Rp 1.5
billion in campaign funding from Habibie.

The issue of the contribution is among the fissures which have
divided the party congress.

Yusril is expected to be reelected chairman when the congress
closes on Sunday as 13 of the 28 provincial chapters declared
acceptance of his accountability speech and supported his
leadership.

Terrorize

The internal discord came to a head on Friday when 16 of the
party's outgoing officials walked out of the congress.

Kholil Ridwan, the party's outgoing deputy chairman, accused
some party figures of political engineering for the sake of
personal interests.

"We see a number of uninvited participants disturbing the
congress. Each time we enter the congress we are harassed and
terrorized for not supporting the reelection of the outgoing
chairman."

Kholil said he and the 15 other officials would boycott the
congress if the "uninvited participants" were not expelled.

Fadli Zon, another outgoing deputy chairman, said the
officials' rejected Yusril's accountability of his leadership.

"Over the last year, Yusril and the outgoing secretary-general
(M.S. Ka'ban) led the party with an iron fist and both failed to
solve internal conflicts among the outgoing executive board."

Fadli urged the police to investigate Yusril's alleged
involvement in money politics.

"The party received donations, including the one from Habibie,
but they were never disclosed in party meetings," he said.

"He (Yusril) was involved in money politics because the
donation was received in the middle of February 1999 while the
law on political parties took effect on February 1, 1999."

Achmad Sumargono, chairman of the PBB faction at the House of
Representatives, acknowledged the outgoing executive board was
not consulted by Yusril before presenting the accountability
speech.

Achmad said he disagreed with many parts of Yusril's speech.
(rms)