Jakarta Globe
Calm Boediono Waiting for Bank Century Inquiry's Final Whistle
Indonesian Vice President Boediono is putting a brave face on his political future despite damning preliminary conclusions by a House of Representatives special committee investigating the Bank Century bailout scandal.
“It was only an early conclusion,” Boediono’s spokesman, Yopie Hidayat, said on Tuesday, adding that the vice president was sure the findings would change. “We need to underline that the discussion or debate at the House is a political process that is very dynamic. It is different to a legal process.”
Asked what kind of changes Boediono expected, Yopie said the committee’s conclusion should be the collective view of the entire committee, not individual political party factions in the House.
“Boediono is sure that the temporary investment in Bank Century [the bailout] and the short-term loan facility was the right decision in a crisis situation,” Yopie said. If there were indications that any laws had been broken, then law enforcers should investigate, “not the House,” he said.
Boediono expected that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB) would endorse the final conclusions, Yopie said.
Seven of the nine political parties serving on the House committee, including four members of Yudhoyono’s ruling coalition, said in their preliminary findings on Monday that the Rp 6.7 trillion ($710 million) bailout was probably illegal and corrupt.
Only the Democrats and the PKB backed the stated positions of Boediono, former Bank Indonesia governor, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who were at the center of the bailout in November 2008.
Many analysts and politicians were surprised by the decision of the United Development Party (PPP) and particularly by the National Mandate Party (PAN) to oppose the Democrats.
“I am still in shock,” said lawmaker Akbar Faisal, of the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura).
Arbi Sanit, a political analyst from the University of Indonesia, stressed that each political party in the House had different agendas, ranging from taking revenge against the Democratic Party for personal reasons to wanting to oust Yudhoyono’s government.
“The targets, though, are clear: Sri Mulyani and Boediono,” he said.
Akbar Tanjung, the chairman of Golkar’s advisory council, said the conclusions were not yet final. “There is no need to worry,” he said, referring to the Democrats.
Democratic Party secretary general Amir Syamsuddin remained optimistic of a different outcome. “There is still some time left before the final conclusion, but we will closely monitor every development.”
For their part, Democrat lawmakers have asked the president to remove disloyal coalition members from the cabinet.
Reporting by Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Camelia Pasandaran, Febriamy Hutapea & Markus Junianto Sihaloho
