Febriamy Hutapea – Dozen of activists warned the House of Representatives on Monday to abandon political bargaining and push through a motion to launch an investigation into the PT Bank Century bailout scandal.
"The House can no longer ignore the people's demand for a thorough investigation into the Century case," said Haris Rusli Muchti, a coordinator for the Petition of 28 Forum, a civil group.
Dozens of activists from several nongovernmental and student organizations met several lawmakers in House to deliver a petition signaling their support for a House investigation into the Rp 6.7 trillion ($723 million) rescue last November.
Some 146 legislators from all but President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party have signed a petition calling for the probe. However, none of the political partiess in the Democratic-led coalition, with the exception of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), have announced formal support for the investigation.
The House could decide during a plenary session on Thursday whether to establish a special committee to look into the bailout, which the State Audit Agency (BPK) in a preliminary audit said showed indications of criminal activity. However, given the dominance of the Democrats in the House and the power of the ruling coalition, it appears unlikely any investigation will go forward.
Caught in the cross hairs of any investigation would be Vice President Boediono, the central bank governor during the time of the bailout, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
The Democratic Party is likely to be targeted in relation to how tycoon Boedi Sampoerna was able to withdraw Rp 2 trillion deposited at the bank when its funds were frozen. Boedi and Hartarti Murdaya, another big depositor, were allegedly major financial supporters of Yudhoyono's re-election campaign.
The activists on Monday urged the House – of which 70 percent are newly elected legislators – to approve the investigation, and, unlike previous such committees, take firm action. "Don't betray the people's aspiration again. This is the time to change," Haris said.
The activists also warned Democratic lawmakers, who refused to sign the proposal to probe Century, not to continue on their course, which the activists said was just turning a deaf ear to the people.
"We remind members of the Democrat faction in the House to heed the people's voice rather than government's because they are not governmental representatives, but the people's representatives," Haris said.
Forum of 28 spokesman Bonny Hargens asked the House to be consistent by not politicizing the motion. "We come with hope but also uncertainty because many things that have been started in this body [now remain in doubt] because of an incomplete commitment," he said.
Bonny said an investigation into the Century case would also help eradicate the "banking mafia" thereby improving the country's financial sector.
Mukhamad Misbakhun, a PKS lawmaker, said that although his party was one of Democrats' coalition partners, the PKS would fully support the motion. "We want to create history in this new House period," he said.
Misbakhun said that the motion to probe the Century case arose from the people's aspiration and he called on the public to guard the movement so that the truth behind the case could be revealed. "The public should monitor closely who supports and opposes the move to probe Century case," he said.