Jakarta – Two days after House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung was convicted of graft, his future has been narrowed down to two choices: resign or have legislators dismiss him through an honorary council.
Roy B. B. Janis, the chairman of the House's biggest faction, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said that dragging Akbar before the honorary council may be inevitable.
"It was the result of the People's Consultative Assembly [MPR]'s Annual Session to establish the honorary council for legislators who have violated the House's code of ethics," Roy told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
These codes cover the most serious cases of corruption, and on this Akbar was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison for embezzling Rp 40 billion (about US$4.5 million) in state funds. Akbar has denied any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the verdict.
Yet motions to unseat the House speaker have started. Roy said his faction would support any moves to set up the council and try Akbar. Chairman of the Reforms faction Ahmad Farhan Hamid said his faction would give Akbar one week to voluntarily resign.
"If the week passes, we'll call for a consultation meeting to suggest setting up the honorary council," he said.
The House's internal rules call for an honorary council to discipline its members. The council is a temporary body, including the House speaker and deputy speakers as well as representatives of each of its 10 factions.
It may dismiss a House member for offenses outlined in the internal rules, however it needs to seek the President's approval, according to Article 60 in the ruling.
Legislators began calling for Akbar's dismissal when he was first named a suspect in the graft case last January.
"I don't see anything wrong with the legislators' call for Akbar to resign, since they were the ones that elected the House speaker," said Vice President Hamzah Haz, who chairs the House's third largest party, the United Development Party (PPP).
The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, which is a staunch critic of Akbar, said it would leave any decision about Akbar to the House's consultation meeting.
PKB Faction chairman Rodjil Ghufron said his faction had asked for the meeting, but did not say when it should be held.
Moves against Akbar would create uncertainty in the House, and that would undermine the country's hard won political stability.
Lawmakers have often come under fire for their extensive politicking. Last year these resulted in the ouster of then president Abdurrahman Wahid at the price of a weak rupiah, high inflation, low investments and piles of unfinished bills waiting to be passed into law.
Analysts said that removing Akbar may not come as easy as it sounds. Akbar chairs the Golkar Party, which is the House's second largest faction.
An attempt last July to launch a political investigation against Akbar ended in disarray when all but a few supported the move during a House's plenary session. PDI Perjuangan and most other factions voted down the probe even though they were among the first to raise the idea.
Analysts agreed that Golkar continues to hold sway in politics, despite its fall from grace with the undoing of their patron, former president Soeharto, in 1998.
However, Golkar might think Akbar is not worth the fight, if his position impinges on its chances to win the 2004 election, he added.
So far Golkar's executives and regional chapters have expressed support behind their embattled chairman. Golkar held a meeting on Friday night to decide their next move.