Last week’s mudslinging between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie may see a turning point in the political Bank Century bailout drama.
In regards to Aburizal’s defiance, Yudhoyono twice last week commented on the hazard of tax dodging and collusion between businessmen and politicians to the country’s economy.
Yudhoyono’s statement, although not specifically targeted, was seen by politicians as directed at Aburizal, whose party differed from Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party position in a legislative investigation into Bank Century bailout.
“It’s interesting to see how far Aburizal will go in confronting Yudhoyono on the bailout case. The President has pooled bullets of tax dodging and involved the Lapindo [mudflow] case to tame Aburizal,” said political analyst Arbi Sanit from the University of Indonesia.
He believed the rift might revise the course of the political game regarding the bailout investigation and Golkar’s maneuver to use facts behind the bailout to unseat Vice President Boediono, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was likely to be quashed by Yudhoyono.
A minister said to be well informed on the case said the rift had ignited Yudhoyono to fortify his decision in defending Boediono and Mulyani from efforts by politicians to see them out of the Cabinet. Boediono and Mulyani authorized the bailout in late 2008, the cost soaring tenfold to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million).
The mudslinging between Yudhoyono and Aburizal reportedly may have been triggered at a private meeting on Feb. 7 at the President’s private residence in Cikeas, West Java.
According to the minister, during the meeting Aburizal was offended by Yudhoyono mixing allegations of tax evasion and politics.
Aburizal’s reply to Yudhoyono’s remark, however, also offended the President, creating friction.
The following day, Yudhoyono told the National Police to launch a crusade against tax dodgers, with Aburizal striking back two days afterward saying Golkar was not afraid of being threatened at gunpoint, let alone with tax-evasion allegations.
Aburizal, however, toned down his remarks late Wednesday, as depicted on his blog, clarifying his stance on the tax evasion charges and the coalition.
But Yudhoyono remained firm, warning the public of danger in collusions between politicians and businessmen Thursday.
Golkar deputy chairman Priyo Budi Santoso did not comment on the friction, saying only that Yudhoyono and Aburizal had reached a deal during their latest meeting to preserve the coalition until the end of the President’s tenure in 2014.
“Aburizal and Yudhoyono have emotional ties. The two often communicate with each other,” Priyo said. Golkar is Yudhoyono’s largest coalition partner.
Democratic Party’s chairman at the House of Representatives Anas Urbaningrum said the relation between Yudhoyono and Aburizal remains solid although there were intense debates.
He said Golkar’s stance on the bailout could be repaired in order to keep the coalition intact.
“I think Golkar should have agreed with the coalition commitment,” Anas said. “In the bailout investigation, they don’t play by the rules that they set themselves.”
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