Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Eleventh-hour lobbying paid off for the government Tuesday when most House factions refused to back a proposal to probe the controversial rice import policy.

Despite the outcry about the imports, including from many House members, the government won the day, with 184 legislators voting against a probe, 151 for the full-fledged investigation and 107 backing the motion for an inquiry.

The vote cleared the political and legal hurdles presented by opposition legislators, who had hinted at corruption in the import of 110,000 metric tons of medium-grade rice from Vietnam.

More than 100 legislators from seven political parties initially agreed to unite for an investigation into the plan. The government maintains the measure is necessary to keep prices stable in times of falling supply at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Rumors abounded last week about the imminent dismissal of Cabinet ministers from their political parties after the main government supporters, the Golkar Party and Democrat Party, lost the vote to have the probe proposal come before the House.

The government quickly regrouped, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono meeting with party leaders as well as 11 Cabinet ministers in closed-door meetings at the State Palace.

Sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the President asked them to request their parties support an inquiry motion instead of a more wide-ranging probe. They also admitted they were aware of the possibility of a recall from their parties if they did not carry through with the instructions.

The proposal of the inquiry worked to split the support for the probe. Parties that backed off from their initial support were the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

If passed, a probe motion would lead to the creation of a special committee wielding the power to investigate the rice import plan, including summoning relevant officials and demanding the provision of documents.

Proponents claimed the garbled government data on the rice supply and prices, as well as a nontransparent import process, warranted the probe.

An inquiry motion, on the other hand, is a summoning of the President or relevant ministers to explain the policy in front of a House plenary session. House procedures often hold up the execution of this motion.

Several investigative motions were proposed last year. Only one went through – on the sale of state oil firm PT Pertamina's VLCC tankers seven months ago – but there has been no follow-up.

Critics say such moves are usually only political grandstanding by legislators.