Democrats Lash Out Over Talk Of Impeachment
Rabu, 03 Februari 2010
| 15:40 WIB
Bank Century committee members Gayus Lumbuun, left, and Ruhut Sitompul.â(Antara Photo/Kencana)
February 02, 2010
In some of the Democratic Party’s strongest language yet, legislator Ruhut Sitompul on Tuesday urged the Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party to abandon thoughts of voting to impeach Vice President Boediono or oust Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati over the PT Bank Century scandal.
“I remind the PKS [Prosperous Justice Party] that it has been given four cabinet seats,” Ruhut said, adding that the people would never support the impeachment because President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono had been directly elected by the people.
Ruhut, a former actor and lawyer who has made a name for himself during his first term in office for his aggressive defense of the government while sitting on the House of Representatives inquiry of the bailout, reminded members of the Democratic Party-led ruling coalition to honor their commitments.
His statements follow a series of complaints against the PKS and Golkar, which not only pushed for the formation of the special committee but have also signalled that they would recommend impeaching Boediono and forcing Sri Mulyani from office.
The committee is due to release its recommendations on Thursday.
Fachri Hamzah, deputy secretary general of the PKS, said that it was the president who initiated the talk about impeachment.
“Impeachment is a part of democracy. There is no need to be afraid if no mistake has been made,” Fachri said, calling on the Democrats to “relax” in responding to the issue. Fachri said nobody could hide facts related to the Bank Century case.
“If someone has to be made responsible, I think it’s just a consequence,” he said, adding that the PKS had found 50 irregularities linked to the case.
Internal rifts within the PKS have erupted over the investigation, with Communication and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring, the former head of the PKS, lambasting members of his party on the committee, saying they should keep their personal opinions to themselves.
He was responding to statements made by PKS lawmaker Andi Rahmat and party secretary general Anis Matta, who both said on Jan. 27 that indications of crime had been found during the bailout probe.
“Usually, if PKS adviser council says ‘A,’ everyone will say ‘A.’ But now its different. Those in the cabinet say something while those in the House special committee investigating Century say something else,” said Arya Bima, who chairs political consulting firm Charta Politika.
He added that there was always the possibility the PKS was being “two-faced.”
“PKS won’t likely support the government should SBY’s popularity continue to decline. However, it will maintain its support should the government remain strong,” Arya said, adding that the PKS used the same tactics during Yudhoyono’s first term as president.
During the 2009 election, the party leadership initially split between Wiranto and Yudhoyono before siding with the president.
National Awakening Party (PKB) senior lawmaker Effendi Choirie said he believed it was highly unlikely for Yudhoyono to be impeached, no matter how strong the indications of wrongdoing in the Bank Century case.
Effendi said the results of the House special committee investigation should focus on Boediono and Sri Mulyani who had “carelessly” taken the decision to bail out the bank.
“If SBY is involved, just forgive him. But the other two [Boediono and Mulyani] should be sacked,” he said. PKB, a member of the ruling coalition, has consistently stood behind the president.
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