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SOE, State Officials Quit SBY Team

Eight commissioners from several state-owned enterprises and a state agency official— who are being investigated for allegedly violating the Presidential Election Law by being part of the re-election team of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono — have resigned from the campaign team.

Wahidah Syuaib, a member of the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu), said they summoned Achmad Achdari, a commissioner from state-owned money printing firm PT Perum Peruri, and Umar Said, a commissioner from state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina, for questioning on Monday in relation to their campaign activities.

“Today, [Achdari’s] staff arrived with a letter from the SBY-Boediono campaign team stating that nine names had been erased from their list, including Achdari and Umar,” Wahidah said.

The other commissioners of state-owned enterprises dropped from the list are: Soeprapto, from telecommunication firm PT Indosat; Max Tamaela, from construction firm PT Hutama Karya; Dedi Prajipto, from construction firm PT Wijaya Karya; Effendi Rangkuti, from pharmaceutical firm PT Kimia Farma; Yahya Ombara, from rail company PT Kereta Api; and Raden Pardede, commissioner of asset management firm PT PPA. Sulatin Umar, from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), was also erased from the list.

Wahidah said the resignations of the nine officials from the campaign team did not mean that the investigation was over. “We need them to clarify how far their involvement in the team extended,” she said.

The resignations do not include another seven senior government officials working on volunteer teams associated with the president’s campaign nor three other senior government officials working for rival presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla.

Bawaslu said it would summon six other commissioners and an official from a government ministry allegedly working in volunteer groups associated with the campaign team of the president and Boediono, who was Bank Indonesia governor before running on Yudhoyono’s ticket .

The six commissioners from state-owned enterprises are: Suratto Siswohardjo, from airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II, who is involved in the Pro-SBY Movement (GPS); Sutanto, from Pertamina also involved with GPS; Sardan Marbun, from plantation company PT PN III who is involved with the Romeo Team; Aam Sapulete, of plantation company PT PN VII who is involved with Archipelago Network; Harry Sebayang, from plantation company PT PN III; and Andi Arief, from postal company PT Pos Indonesia.

The seventh government official is Muchayat, deputy to the State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil, who is involved with Barindo.

Wahidah said Article 211 of the Presidential Election Law banned any state official from making decisions that could benefit or harm presidential candidates during the campaign period.

She said that Bawaslu would also summon the three commissioners allegedly involved in the Kalla-Wiranto campaign team. They are Tanri Abeng, from telecommunications firm PT Telkom; Fadhil Hassan, from plantation company PT PN XI; and Rekson Silaban, from pension fund company Jamsostek.

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