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PDI-P defends swearing-in of graft-suspect lawmakers

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has lambasted a proposal to postpone the inauguration of three members of the House of Representatives on Oct

Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, September 22, 2014

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PDI-P defends swearing-in of graft-suspect lawmakers

T

he Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has lambasted a proposal to postpone the inauguration of three members of the House of Representatives on Oct. 1, due to their status as graft
suspects.

Earlier on Friday, the General Elections Commission (KPU) said it had sent a formal request to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to delay the inauguration of the three graft suspects: PDI-P politicians Idham Samawi and Herdian Koosnadi, and senior Democratic Party politician Jero Wacik.

The PDI-P said the request had no legal basis and that Yudhoyono, who is due to step down on Oct. 20, would ignore it.

Chairman of the PDI-P'€™s legal division, Trimedya Panjaitan, said on Saturday that such a postponement would only be possible if the lawmakers had already been convicted in court, adding that the KPU'€™s move should be viewed as a non-legally binding
recommendation.

'€œSomeone'€™s swearing-in ceremony can'€™t be delayed just because he is a [graft] suspect. Such a move has no legal basis,'€ said Trimedya, who is also chairman of the House'€™s ethics committee.

He said the PDI-P had yet to receive formal documentation from the KPU regarding the plan to drop Idham and Herdian from the list of lawmakers to be sworn in at the beginning of October.

Separately, KPU commissioner Ferry Rizkiansyah confirmed on Sunday that the KPU had submitted an official request to Yudhoyono, and was awaiting confirmation from the State Palace as to whether to postpone the inauguration of the three suspects.

'€œWe haven'€™t heard from the President since we sent the letter,'€ Ferry told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Jero, who is also the former energy and mineral resources minister, was recently named a graft suspect by the KPK for allegedly embezzling Rp 9.9 billion (US$825,757) of state
money.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General'€™s Office (AGO) named Herdian a graft suspect in connection with the construction of health facilities in South Tangerang.

Idham, the former regent of Bantul, Yogyakarta, was named a suspect by the Yogyakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office for allegedly embezzling budget funds for the local soccer club, Persiba Bantul.

KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said on Sunday that the image of the House could become tarnished if it went ahead and inaugurated the three suspects.

Bambang said the KPU'€™s move to write to the President was part of its response to the antigraft body'€™s own proposal.

'€œWe sent a formal letter to the KPU and the Elections Supervisory Agency [Bawaslu] regarding our stance on the matter. We urged the KPU not to inaugurate elected House lawmakers who have been named graft suspects,'€ Bambang said.

Last week, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) released its findings that 48 candidates elected during the April 9 legislative election had been named graft suspects.

Three of the 48 are existing House lawmakers, while the remaining 45 are legislators at regency and provincial levels.

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