Aburizal as coalition chairman to prevent SBY's impeachment

The recent appointment of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie as the chairman of the pro-government coalition parties is meant to save both President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono from impeachment, a Golkar official says.

“We will face anyone who wants to impeach the President,” Golkar secretary at the House of Representatives, Ade Komarudin, said in Jakarta on Friday.

A possible impeachment of Boediono has been raised in the media after the House officially named him as one of the people responsible for the controversial Bank Century bailout early in March

The bailout, which ballooned to ten times its original estimate, to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million), was authorized in November 2008 by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani and Boediono, who was the then Bank Indonesia governor.

Mulyani herself is set to leave her ministerial post and to start work at the World Bank as one of its managing directors in June.

Ade stressed that Aburizal would not use his influence to press the President for a Cabinet reshuffle.

“A Cabinet reshuffle is the President’s prerogative,” he said.

Following Aburizal’s appointment, speculation is rife that the Golkar chairman will act practically as a prime minister.

Aburizal’s appointment has drawn criticism from experts and analysts because they deem that it has ruined the country’s presidential system and mechanism, especially after several Golkar politicians said that he had the authority to summon ministers.