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No dramatic end likely to Century bailout case
Lobbying between politicians has intensified and observers now say the President, the Vice President and Finance Minister, in the hot seat over the Bank Century bailout case, will probably all retain their positions
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obbying between politicians has intensified and observers now say the President, the Vice President and Finance Minister, in the hot seat over the Bank Century bailout case, will probably all retain their positions.
Golkar politician and House of Representatives deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said on Wednesday that party’s chairman Aburizal Bakrie had frequently met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
“The communication between the two has been intensifying,”
he said. He added there had been higher and lower level contacts between the Golkar Party and the Democrats.
Last week, the second-largest party in the House sounded more aggressive, saying that Vice President Boediono, a former Bank Indonesia governor, had played a pivotal role in the bailout and that the party would move to impeach him.
This position, as well as criticisms over the handling of Century by certain Golkar legislators have fueled anger in Democratic Party circles.
Golkar is Yudhoyono’s largest coalition partner along with the smaller Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
A Golkar lawmaker Chairuman Harahap also confirmed that Golkar had reached several agreements with the Democratic Party. One such agreement reportedly is that investigation of the case may continue as long as Yudhoyono, Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani do not take the blame.
When asked if Aburizal has joined talks about a ministerial reshuffle, Priyo said, “Cabinet reshuffles may be part of any top-level political lobbying. If that happens, the Golkar party will not reject it,” he said.
A number of sources told The Jakarta Post that the Democratic Party had offered positions in the Cabinet to a number of factions, including the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
These trade offs have reportedly secured the position of the current administration while Finance Minister Sri Mulyani keeps her job.
A key legislator told the Post that Democratic Party board members had visited former president Megawati Soekarnoputri’s PDI-P.
“The PDI-P has been offered three or four ministerial posts. But Megawati still disagrees, forcing the party’s to brass to drop their hopes of joining the Cabinet,” he said.
Other major factions have also hinted that the Century inquiry will continue but not touch Yudhoyono, Boediono and Mulyani.
Fahri Hamzah from the PKS said the party would not break the coalition agreement with Yudhoyono. “If Yudhoyono says stop the Century inquiry, we will stop,” he said.
PKB legislator Anna Mu’awanah also said she believed the Century inquiry would not end with a dramatic turn. She said any attempts to impeach Yudhoyno or Boediono would be useless. “The coalition is still solid and would win the votes if impeachment is carried out,” she said.
Yudhoyono’s coalition acquires 75.71 percent or 424 out of 560 parliament seats.
According to the 1945 Constitution, the first step of impeachment process is to deliver the inquiry team’s final recommendation to the House’s plenary meeting which must be attended by at least half plus one or 281 legislators.
The inquiry team’s recommendation can go further only if it was signed by more than a half of the plenary participants.
