Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie. (Antara Photo)

Bakrie Denies Rumors of Fresh Political Deals Over Bank Century

Golkar Chairman Aburizal Bakrie said on Wednesday that he did not have any new political deals with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and denied rumors that his condemnation of the Bank Century bailout was motivated by his desire to see the vice president and finance minister lose their positions.

Rumors had been circulating at the House of Representatives this week that Bakrie had publicly slammed the Bank Century bailout as part of a political deal to obtain the vice presidential seat and topple his rival Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. There were also rumors that Yudhoyono was planning to replace Sri Mulyani in early February.

“There was only one deal with SBY, it was when Golkar signed the political contract. The deal was that we would work together for people’s prosperity. No more deals after that,” Bakrie told Metro TV.

Bakrie also said that his meeting on Wednesday with Golkar ministers was not a threat to the Democratic Party.

“It’s not in my nature to threaten people, but don’t anybody dare threaten me,” he said.

On Monday, Yudhoyono ordered the National Police to hunt down anyone suspected of tax evasion — a move that was seen as warning to the Bakrie Group patriarch whose Golkar Party is aggressively pushing the House of Representatives inquiry into Bank Century and claiming that the Rp 6.7 trillion ($710 million) bailout of the ailing lender was illegal.

Bakrie said that the meeting with the Golkar faction and three ministers from the party, namely Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad, Industry Minister MS Hidayat and Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono, was only to build synergy.

He added that Golkar was ready if its ministers were removed from the cabinet because it was the president’s prerogative.

“But Golkar also has the right to recall our ministers from the cabinet,” he said.

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