SBY, Dems in panic mode

JAKARTA. President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono has told Democratic Party executives to brace for the worst in anticipation of the graft probe of the party’s board of patrons member and former youth and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng.

Yudhoyono, the party’s chief patron, summoned all Democratic Party lawmakers to his private residence in Cikeas, West Java, Sunday evening.

A number of top party executives attended the meeting including party chairman Anas Urbaningrum, secretary-general Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono and head of the party’s faction in the House of Representatives, Nurhayati Ali Assegaf.

Board of patrons member, Achmad Mubarok, said that Yudhoyono told party members that they must remain united in the face of intensified efforts by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to uncover graft cases involving party members.

On Thursday, the KPK named Andi a suspect in the alleged massive budget misappropriation of the construction of the Rp 1.17 trillion (US$121.62 million) Hambalang sports complex in Sentul, West Java.

Mubarok denied the meeting was held to particularly discuss the case.

“This is a regular event. Pak Yudho-yono wants members of his party, particularly those sitting in the House, to play
‘clever’ politics,” he said before attending the meeting that began at 8:30 p.m.

Nurhayati confirmed Andi was not involved in the meeting because he had already resigned his position. She confirmed that SBY said that the Democratic Party must stay united ahead of 2014. “He motivated us to improve.”

“To be honest, Andi’s case was not mentioned at all,” she said, adding that Anas’ alleged involvement in the Hambalang case was not discussed either. According to Nurhayati, they did not discuss Andi’s replacement in the meeting. “I can only hope that he [Andi] will be declared innocent.”

Andi, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen at the meeting after he resigned his positions as board of patrons secretary and minister on Friday.

The Sunday evening meeting was held behind closed doors. No journalists were allowed to approach the Puri Cikeas housing complex where Yudhoyono’s residence is located.

Late on Sunday, Andi Nurpati, the party spokesperson, did not respond to questions from The Jakarta Post when asked about details from the meeting.

As youth and sports minister, Andi was accused of abusing his power to help contractors win the project’s tender, disregarding proper procedures.

Before Sunday’s meeting, some party members speculated that Yu-dhoyono would likely discuss the KPK’s prosecution of Andi and the possible political fall-out from it. Yudhoyono was also expected to discuss candidates who would fill the vacant youth and sports minister position.

The Hambalang graft case, among other scandals implicating Democratic Party members, will likely hit the party hard ahead the 2014 presidential and legislative elections.

Andi himself is the second party patron to be named a KPK suspect after businesswoman Hartati Murdaya was detained by the KPK for allegedly bribing Buol regent Arman Batalipu in connection with a plantation concession.

In the Hambalang case alone, at least three high-profile Democratic Party politicians have been implicated: Andi, Anas, former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin and member of the House Angelina Sondakh. Angelina is now standing trial for the case.

Agus Sunaryanto, the head of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) investigation division, said that Yudhoyono’s concerns would not be limited to the involvement of party members in the case, but also with regards to the flow of funds allegedly coming from the misappropriation to the party’s coffers.

Nazaruddin has said that every party member who won state projects must allocate about 3 to 5 percent of the project’s value as a contribution to the party.

Anas has repeatedly denied he had been involved in any misuse of projects financed by state budgets.

Agus urged the KPK to push Andi into disclosing the involvement of other figures, be they members of the Democratic Party or not.

As Yudhoyono is not eligible to serve a third term, analysts believe he wants to ensure that his successor will be able to “protect” him and his family in 2014 onwards.

Analyst from IndoBarometer M. Qodari said that Yudhoyono had failed to uphold his commitment to anticorruption within his own party.

“It is a shame that Yudhoyono’s administration has been trying hard to eradicate corruption, but the recent high-profile cases have instead involved members of his own party.” 

(Bagus BT Saragih/ The Jakarta Post)