Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Pro-government parties have voiced concern over the appointment of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie as chairman of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's coalition.
National Mandate Party (PAN) executive Bara Hasibuan said he was suspicious about the development, which took place shortly after the announcement that Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati would leave Cabinet to take up a position at the World Bank, starting June.
"The announcement of the deal, which took place only 48 hours after the announcement that Sri Mulyani would move to the World Bank, confirms opinions that the Bank Century bailout debacle was an effort to depose her," Bara said in a written statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The appointment of Aburizal as the coalition executive was made public late Thursday during a meeting of coalition party leaders.
"Public suspicion has strengthened following a recent statement from a Golkar Party executive saying the Bank Century case can now end. The statement confirms public theories that the case has just been a game, instead of an effort to uphold the law," Bara said.
The House of Representatives declared that Mulyani should face due legal process for her decision to go ahead with the Bank Century bailout. The bailout eventually escalated to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) – 10 times more than the amount originally approved in November 2008 by Mulyani and then Bank Indonesia governor Boediono (now Vice President).
Since Yudhoyono accepted Mulyani's resignation, several Golkar elites have also begun to voice softer sentiments toward the Bank Century case.
Golkar senior politician Priyo Budi Santoso had said earlier that Mulyani's departure could "politically freeze" the Century bailout case. However, Priyo said Monday that rather than "freezing" the case, Golkar would only like to make the political situation "cooler" by not neglecting the case's legal process.
"Aburizal's new job is not easy. He has to be able to make sure there will be a good communication between him and President Yudhoyono, and between the President and other parties in the coalition," Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) deputy secretary-general Fahri Hamzah said.
Fahri also said he expected Aburizal's appointment was not part of a political bargain between Yudhoyono's Democratic Party and Golkar, to end the Bank Century bailout case.
United Development Party (PPP) deputy secretary-general Muhammad "Romi" Romahurmuziy said Aburizal's appointment was a sign that Yudhoyono may have lost faith in his Democratic Party legislators following their mediocre political maneuver during the Century investigation at the House.
"This is, of course, a signal for our friends at the Democratic Party to study harder," he said.
Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) political analyst Burhanuddin Muhtadi said Aburizal's enormous influence over the coalition posed a threat to Indonesia's presidential system.
"Ical even has the authority to summon ministers, when we know ministers are supposed to be the direct subordinates of the President," Burhanuddin said. "Ical not only poses a threat to the authority of Boediono but also to the President," he said.