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Coalition may be revised, but nothing 'drastic'

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Jakarta Post - March 27, 2010

Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Vice President Boediono's concerns over the coalition's lack of support for the government will not prompt the President to drastically revise its political alliances, a senior ruling party official says.

Achmad Mubarok, deputy chairman of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, said the party shared Boediono's feelings and would take action to cope with the problem.

"We take note of Pak Boediono's remarks and probably there will be a revision of the coalition, but it will not be drastic," Mubarok said Friday.

At the opening of the Indonesia Summit on Thursday, Boediono said the political fallout from the House of Representatives' inquiry into the Bank Century bailout had put the coalition to the test, albeit only for the time being.

The fallout materialized when the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) voted against the coalition government in the Houses final decision on the bailout.

Their position cost the pro-government parties the vote, and allowed the House to pass a resolution that declared the bailout had been flawed and recommended Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati face due legal processes for their roles in the controversial policy.

Some legislators have also demanded Boediono and Mulyani step down and threatened to boycott future hearings with them.

In support of Boediono's remarks, the Democratic Party's Benny Kabur Harman said the Bank Century case proved the fragility of power sharing in the coalition.

"Some coalition partners are fighting for their own interests and agendas," he said. "Therefore, coalition members need to renew their commitment to the reform agenda under President SBY's leadership. Those who are not in line with the SBY-Boediono government must leave the coalition."

Golkar's Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa criticized Boediono for his speech concerning the fallout. "If Pak Boediono thinks the coalition needs revising, he should go directly to the President rather than stating it in public," Agun said.

Political experts have suggested that the coalition partners need to improve political communication among themselves for the sake of an effective government.

"From the beginning... the Democratic Party should have offered a detailed political contract to its partners. The contract must contain a detailed agenda and plans for the next five years," Charta Politika political analyst Yunarto Wijaya said.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi from the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) warned that Boediono would pay for his statement. "The coalition partners could now be more motivated to target Boediono."

He said a limited Cabinet reshuffle was needed to tame defecting coalition partners.

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