T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has criticized President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for failing to prevent the inauguration of three politicians implicated in graft cases in the new batch of House of Representatives lawmakers .

As of Monday, Yudhoyono had yet to respond to a letter sent by the General Elections Commission (KPU) asking whether the three politicians, one from the President'€™s Democratic Party, would still be inaugurated on Oct. 1 despite the graft allegations.

'€œThe inauguration is fast approaching, but we still expect the President to reply to the letter. Ethically, all letters should be answered, and especially the [KPU'€™s] letter, which is very important,'€ KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said on Monday. KPK spokesman Johan Budi stressed, however, that the KPK had no authority to force Yudhoyono to reply.

'€œIn this particular case, the KPK can only express its opinion that inaugurating graft suspects as lawmakers would be unethical,'€ Johan said.

The three graft suspects in question are Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politicians Idham Samawi and Herdian Koosnadi and Jero Wacik of the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Ade Irawan said that Yudhoyono'€™s indecisiveness reflected his lack of firm opposition to corruption.

'€œIt'€™s clear that SBY doesn'€™t walk the walk. In fact, we'€™re tired of saying that he has failed to tackle corruption; his lack of response to the KPU'€™s letter is just one more indication of this. The public is already well aware,'€ Ade said.

Jero is one of 61 Democratic Party politicians who won enough votes to sit in the House. The former energy and mineral resources minister was recently named a graft suspect by the KPK, which alleges he embezzled Rp 9.9 billion (US$ 814,413) of state money from his office.

Ade said that Yudhoyono, as chairman of the Democratic Party, should have excluded Jero from the party'€™s list of elected lawmakers to be sworn in on Oct. 1.

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

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

KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik said on Monday that his office was ready to suspend the inauguration of the three politicians, but could not do so without the green light from the President, to whom the commission is directly responsible.

'€œWe have expressed our concerns on the issue in an official letter sent to the President, but we haven'€™t heard anything back,'€ Husni said on Monday.

KPU commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiansyah said the commission was in the dark as to why the State Palace had not responded to their request and suggested reporters ask the State Palace directly.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha, meanwhile, said he was unable to confirm if the State Palace had received the KPU'€™s letter.

'€œWho signed the KPU letter? When was it sent? Who received the letter at the State Palace? We are currently in Japan after visiting the United States and Portugal. I don'€™t know anything about this letter,'€ Julian told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Chairman of the PDI-P'€™s legal division Trimedya Panjaitan said last week that postponing an inauguration was impossible until the lawmaker in question had been convicted, adding that the KPU'€™s move should be viewed as a non-legally binding recommendation.

'€œThe inauguration can'€™t be delayed just because he is a suspect. Such a move has no legal basis,'€ said Trimedya, who is also chairman of the House'€™s ethics committee.