BIN allegation foments Anas-SBY rivalry

JAKARTA. The allegation made by loyalists of ousted Democratic Party (PD) chairman Anas Urbaningrum, that the country’s intelligence agency had “kidnapped” former PD chairman Subur Budhisantoso had angered supporters of current party chairman and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The accusation had led to a suggestion that Yudhoyono had abused his authority as President to ask the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to prevent Subur, a close ally of Yudhoyono, from attending a seminar that was organized by the Indonesian Movement Association (PPI), an organization founded by Anas.

BIN chairman Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman had denied the allegations and threatened to report the incident to the police.

But Democratic Party officials said they saw the allegation as an attack on the President and demanded an apology. “We indeed had friction and bitter experience in the past, but please, Anas and his supporters, don’t make such a move using false accusations,” Jhonny Allen Marbun, Democratic Party deputy chairman, said on Sunday.

Max Sopacua, also party deputy chairman, said Anas and his men had “declared war.”

“They are supposed to be responsible for the slander they made. But instead, the gestures looked to be intentionally aimed at igniting conflict,” Max said. He also accused the PPI of maneuvers to “attack” the Democratic Party under Yudhoyono’s leadership.

It was a statement from Anas loyalist M. Rahmad, a former Democratic Party executive who is now the PPI’s spokesman, which led up to the “kidnapping” rumors.

“A PPI officer told us that Subur had been prevented from speaking in this seminar because BIN agents picked him up from his house. The officer was told that Subur had been asked to wait at the BIN headquarters because BIN chairman [Marciano] still had a meeting with the President. We know that the President is not in Jakarta right now so you interpret yourself what is actually happening,” Rahmad, who was the moderator of the seminar, said upon opening the event.

Didi Irawadi Syamsuddin, another party executive who is also the son of Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin, demanded Rahmad to offer a public apology. “Don’t hide, Rahmad. Apologize to the public for the slander you made,” he said.

Rahmad held a press conference at the PPI office on Sunday to clarify that he never made the accusation.

He refused to apologize, saying that the term “kidnapping” used in various media reports did not come from him.

“The term ‘kidnapping’ instead came from BIN chairman [Marciano] and Presidential spokesman [Julian Aldrin Pasha] when they made statements to the media,” he said. “That is how this polemic began. I think it was instead because of the poor communication among state bodies and the President’s officials,”

“In the seminar, I only carried out my duty as moderator to present the information I had received over why Subur did not show up as one of the speakers,” Rahmad added.

Subur himself has admitted he had been at BIN’s headquarters at the time he was supposed to be attending the seminar. He said he had forgotten that he was invited to attend the seminar, according to detik.com news portal.

Shortly after he was named party chairman to replace Anas in the party’s congress in Bali in March, Yudhoyono launched a massive overhaul to the party’s central executive’s board. Many of figures known to be Anas’ supporters were replaced. (Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S. Aritonang)