Margareth S. Aritonang and Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Lawmakers, especially those from opposition parties, have renewed their efforts to impeach Vice President Boediono after the country's top antigraft body implicated him in the 2008 Bank Century bailout scandal in his capacity as then Bank Indonesia governor.

It would be the third attempt by the House of Representatives after those in 2010 and 2011, which were also based on the bailout scandal.

Like in 2010 and 2011, analysts believe the plan to build a momentum for the impeachment process would not see Boediono losing his vice presidential post but would merely serve as another political bargaining chip.

Lawmakers and officials from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's inner circle have suggested that the President has been planning another Cabinet reshuffle, probably the last before he ends his second term in office in 2014.

Speculation is rife that that some ministers who represent political parties may lose their Cabinet posts due to corruption and extramarital affairs, prompting House members from respective parties to utilize the Century case as a political weapon to retain concessions in the Cabinet.

"KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] leaders have suggested that Boediono was involved but the commission did not have the power to charge him. Hence, we can use our right to shift public opinion," Akbar Faisal from the opposition People's Conscience (Hanura) Party said on Wednesday.

He was referring to the House's constitutional right to express its opinion, which is the first political step before the Constitutional Court decided if a vice president can be impeached based on criminal allegations against him.

Support for the impeachment also came from politicians in government coalition parties, such as Bambang Soesatyo from the Golkar Party, the biggest ally of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party.

"The right to raise a political opinion, if endorsed, could serve as the ultimate decision to judge whether Boediono was really involved in the controversial bailout," Bambang said. One of three ministers from Golkar was rumored to be at risk of being sacked from the Cabinet.

The Democratic Party, as well as other government coalition parties such as the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) predictably declined to join the impeachment proposal.

"It's not that simple to impeach a vice president because everything is already regulated in the Constitution. It's better to trust the KPK to validate his [Boediono's] role," the Democratic Party's Max Sopacua said.

The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, meanwhile, showed a surprising move not to side with its fellow opposition parties to support the impeachment initiative.

"Allowing the KPK to investigate Boediono is the best option. Later, the House can decide what to do [after the KPK has completed its investigation]. It might lead to impeachment, but it's too premature now," said Gerindra lawmaker Martin Hutabarat.

Gerindra's stance has revived old speculation that Yudhoyono was mulling over making the party a coalition member and appointing a Gerindra minister in an attempt to take greater control of the House, which has frequently made major political moves against his administration.