Boediono Suspension Played Down
Rabu, 30 Desember 2009
| 07:49 WIB
Vice President Boediono will not be suspended, said Chief Justice Mahfud
Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD warned on Wednesday that calls to suspend Vice President Boediono for his role in the bailout of PT Bank Century should be rejected.
“Our constitution does not recognize the suspension of the president or the vice president,” Mahfud told the Jakarta Globe. “To even begin the impeachment process is not that easy. Even if the calls [to suspend Boediono] continue to be strong, they should be rejected.”
Mahfud’s comments were dismissive of hopes held in some quarters of the House of Representatives that a suspension would be a precursor to impeachment.
Mahfud made his statement days after the House of Representatives’ special committee recommended Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani be suspended due to their conduct in the Rp 6.7 trillion ($710 million) bailout last year.
Political observers have said that the special committee has the “clear aim” of ousting Boediono and Sri Mulyani.
“The political process is ongoing in the House. If the House finds either the president or vice president guilty of violating the Constitution, two-thirds of the House must vote in favor of going ahead with the impeachment,” Mahfud said, adding that the findings of that session must then be handed over to the Constitutional Court.
He said that a similar process would apply should the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) find evidence of any wrongdoing in the bailout that implicated either the president or the vice president.
Mahfud emphasized that calls made by the House special committee to suspend Boediono should be “defied.” He said that it was now much more difficult for the House to oust either the president or the vice president because of the Constitutional Court’s role as an adjudicator.
The House special committee called for the president to suspend the two for the duration of its proceedings on Thursday.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Boediono and Sri Mulyani would not be suspended during the House investigation. Yudhoyono said there was no legal basis for the sanction.
House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Marzuki Alie expressed disappointment on Wednesday over the special committee’s recommendation to suspend the pair, adding that he had refused to endorse it.
“I did not sign it. I am very disappointed. Things have just got too wild,” said Marzuki, a senior official of Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party.
“How is it that the committee can make such recommendations when they have yet to conclude their work?” he asked.
Marzuki added that for such a recommendation to have any weight, it would need approval from the House leadership meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Monday.
For the impeachment proceedings to begin, a House plenary session must first have at least two-thirds of the total 560 seats in the House in attendance. Two- thirds of those attendees must vote in favor of going forward with the process.
The results of this session are then handed over to the Constitutional Court, which would review the evidence.
During this process, the president or vice president would be given the opportunity to mount a defense before the court.
If the court approves the request, the House would still have to forward it to the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).
The MPR would then hold a plenary session, in which the president or vice president would again be allowed to respond to the charges.
In order for impeachment to pass, two-thirds of the 692 members must support the motion.
thejakartaglobe.com