Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia's second-largest political party Golkar is going after President Megawati Sukarnoputri's husband for alleged corrupt business dealings and abuse of power in an apparent attempt to protect party chairman Akbar Tandjung, who is under graft investigation.
Golkar's move to seek political leverage for Mr Akbar may threaten the political coalition which last year agreed to support Ms Megawati's presidency until it ends in 2004, analysts said.
It came after its lobbying efforts failed to dampen pressure for Mr Akbar to resign temporarily from his post as Speaker while the Attorney-General's Office investigated his case.
Mr Akbar had been named as a suspect in the misuse of 40 billion rupiah (S$7 million) from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog). Reports accused him of using the money to finance Golkar's campaign in the 1999 election.
Mr Akbar had denied any wrongdoing and claimed the money was disbursed to him when he was the state secretary to be channelled to the poor.
Party sources said Mr Akbar felt "betrayed" that Ms Megawati had not stopped legislators from her Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) from pushing for his resignation and the setting up of a special parliamentary investigation team.
In a recent Golkar officials meeting, legislators were told to take a "critical stance" against Ms Megawati, whom they supported last year to replace ousted president Abdurrahman Wahid.
One of the issues they would bring up to unsettle Ms Megawati is whether her husband, Mr Taufik Kiemas, himself a PDI-P legislator, violated any laws when he headed a delegation of high-ranking state officials on a trip to China last month. "What he did breached his legislative function," said Golkar faction head in parliament Marzuki Ahmad.
Another party source said Golkar might also try to uncover Mr Taufik's alleged links in certain business dealings. But he said it was not time yet to launch a personal assault, and the party would for now focus on criticising the inefficient leadership.
"We will use our weapons one by one – right now, we know that the government's efficiency is a higher priority than issues related to Taufik." Golkar deputy secretary-general Rully Chairul Azwar said: "Golkar still wants to support President Megawati until 2004 to boost the country's recovery from the crises, but we can no longer assure its stability if the political condition continues to be rocked by issues like this."