After Iran, SBY faces mudflow motion

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 06/08/2007 7:09 AM

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is facing back-to-back questioning motions from the House of Representatives over Indonesia's support of UN sanctions on Iran and now the Sidoarjo mudflow.

With the support of 130 legislators from major political parties, the motion was officially submitted Thursday to the House of Representatives leadership, which expects to announce the motion in a plenary session next Tuesday.

It was not clear why the mudflow became an issue for questioning motions only after the issue of Iran.

No legislators from Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, which stood behind the President on the Iran issue, supported the new motion.

Deputy House Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoritno, who received the motion and was the last to sign it, said he hoped the President was ready to explain the issue to the House.

""The people have been eager and curious to know what hurdles and problems the government has faced in handling the mudflow and its massive impact,"" he said.

""The President's absence at the plenary session could spark anger among people, particularly the victims and those displaced by the mudflow,"" he said.

From Beijing Vice President Jusuf Kalla, during an official visit, questioned all the fuss over the President's absence in questioning motions. He cited that legislators had not protested when Megawati Soekarnoputri had sent officials on her behalf when as president, she faced such motions.

""So why the protest now?"" he said, ""The government only asks for fairness, so we can think of other issues ... like how to develop Jakarta like Beijing ...""

The House suspended its plenary session on Iran on Tuesday, waiting for the President to have time to explain the government's support of UN Resolution 1747 on Iran.

Djoko Susilo of the National Mandate Party who help initiate the Sidoarjo motion, said now lawmakers wanted a direct explanation from the President on why he could not press Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie to at least take care of the 3,500 displaced families and pay compensation for 11 buried villages.

PT Lapindo Brantas Inc., the company at the center of the mudflow, is partly owned by PT Energi Mega Persada, which in turn is linked to the Bakrie family.

""If Aburizal Bakrie is not convinced, he should spend a night with locals taking refuge in temporary makeshift shelters in Sidoarjo market to learn how sorrowful the refugees's suffering is,"" said Djoko.

Besides damaging 350 hectares of farm land and 23 school buildings and forcing 20 companies to stop operation in one year, the mudflow has also disrupted land transportation to and from Surabaya and affected the environment.

Yuddi Chrisnandi of the Golkar Party accused the government of having abused the victims' human rights.

Abdullah Azwar Anas of the National Mandate Party said the delays on the part of the company and government in its handling of the mudflow and its effects were regrettable.

""The government and the company's management should give priority to the victims by paying compensation ..., resettling them to safe areas with new jobs and providing education for their thousands of children,"" he said.

-- With additional reporting by Riyadi Suparno from Beijing

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