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EDITORIAL: Speak out Mr. Speaker
Bambang’s immediate leadership test is looming now that the House’s inquiry into the KPK is reaching its finale.
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All ready -- Lawmakers are pictured inside the House of Representatives building. (Tempo/-)
T
he nation witnessed on Monday the inauguration of the third House of Representatives speaker in as many years, a testament to the topsy turvy nature of Indonesian politics, or more precisely the power struggle between the Golkar Party elites.
Bambang Soesatyo, known by his acronym Bamsoet, assumed the House’s top post after winning approval from the new Golkar Party chairman, Airlangga Hartarto. Airlangga and Bambang take over the posts relinquished by Setya Novanto after his arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for his alleged role in the e-ID card corruption case last November.
In early 2016 Setya gave up the House speaker job to Ade Komaruddin following allegations that he and a heavyweight businessman held talks with then PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin to ask for shares in one of the world’s largest gold producing firms. In less than a year, Setya regained his post after the House’s ethics council found Ade guilty of an ethics violation.
Like Ade, who is now ailing, former journalist Bambang hails from the Central Organization for Indonesian Employees (Soksi), one of Golkar’s three founding organizations. Quite recently, Bambang was named an executive of the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans’ Children (FKPPI), an organization formerly linked to Golkar.
And where was Bambang during Golkar’s internal wrangling that sapped the nation’s energy and disrupted the legislative program mandated to the House? Known as a loyal party member, he simply followed the party’s directives, including when he was named Golkar representative in the controversial House inquiry into alleged abuse of power committed by the KPK.
Needless to say Airlangga’s choice of Bambang for the strategic portfolio is designed to take care of not only Golkar’s interests but also those of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who the party has nominated as presidential candidate for the 2019 race. Thus Bambang’s nomination should have received Jokowi’s prior approval; otherwise the legislative body would block his programs.
Like it or not, Bambang’s catapulting into the House speaker job is the result of a compromise among power brokers, who have now set their sights on the 2019 legislative and presidential elections. He must ensure the political landscape is trouble-free until the nation elects its House representatives and national leader in 2019.
Bambang’s immediate leadership test is looming now that the House’s inquiry into the KPK is reaching its finale. As the House speaker he should exercise wisdom and do his best to keep the inquiry committee from pushing for amendments to the KPK Law that will only weaken the antigraft body, simply because corruption is a threat to Indonesian democracy.
With only about one year of service and with political years ahead, we cannot expect Bambang to bring about changes to the way the House performs its legislative mandate. For decades, the House has been notorious for its underachievement in its legislative task, while dozens of its members have been embroiled in graft cases.
Nonetheless, we wish you luck Mr. Speaker.
