Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has come under fire from legislators for spending enormous amounts of money on the Indonesian military and even editors who accompanied her on a recent overseas trip.
The main source of some legislators' discontent is her recent contribution amounting to 30 billion rupiah (S$6 million) for the renovation of the Indonesian military and police barracks.
She had refused initially to explain where the money came from, but later claimed that it was withdrawn from the Presidential Aids fund. Established in the 1970s by then president Suharto, the fund was designed for emergency uses such as natural disasters and social unrest. But in practice, it was used indiscriminately, often for Mr Suharto's political interests.
Several legislators from different parties had begun a motion last week to summon the President to Parliament over the use of the fund. But their move hit a snag when the initiator of the petition, Mr Jamal Doa, withdrew his support for the petition following warnings from executives of his United Development Party (PPP), headed by Vice-President Hamzah Haz.
The motion, known as interpellation, must be supported by 10 signatories from at least two different factions and needs a majority support from the House. The current seven signatories had pledged to continue the motion. They said they were optimistic they could get more support by the time Parliament reconvened in May.
A motion to question former president Abdurrahman Wahid's role in a graft case in 2000 led to the establishment of a special parliamentarian probe team and eventually cost his presidency.
PPP and Ms Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle have opposed the petition strongly, saying the fund was used legitimately. The petition may get the most backing from Golkar, the second largest party in Parliament whose chief Akbar Tandjung is on trial for the misuse of State Logistics Agency funds. Among the seven signatories are some Golkar members.
National Assembly Speaker Amien Rais has also hinted that he would support the plan to question the President, saying the public had the right to know.
Palace Secretary Bambang Kesowo said the President pledged to give the aid after she was dismayed at the poor condition of soldiers' barracks and officers' residential units during a visit in February. Most of the buildings were constructed in the 1960s and had never been renovated since, he told a press briefing.
But observers said the move was her attempt at "buying the support" of the military. Worse still, she is accused of buying the support of the local press after she invited a group of senior editors from leading publications and television stations to accompany her on her current trip to China, Korea and India.
Instead of bringing the usual group of palace-accredited journalists, only these editors were invited along for the trip. Travelling on official passports, which are supposed to be used by state officials only, the editors did not have to pay for their visas and exit tax. It was also revealed that some of the editors had their accommodation paid for.
Mr Abdurrahman broke the decades-long tradition of Mr Suharto when he made it mandatory for journalists to pay for their own accommodation during overseas trips and refrained from the ubiquitous practice of giving allowances to travelling journalists.