Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The Golkar Party has hit back at members of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party who criticized its "sellout" stance in the handling of the Bank Century bailout inquiry.
The statement came after a Democratic Party legislator said they had been betrayed by coalition partners, especially Golkar, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) after a parliamentary inquiry committee on the bailout finished questioning Vice President Boediono last Tuesday.
Golkar legislator Bambang Soesatyo, a member of the inquiry committee, said Friday that investigating the bailout thoroughly was a goal his party shared with Yudhoyono, the chief patron of the Democratic Party.
Ruhut Sitompul, a Democratic Party legislator and committee member, told reporters following Boediono's testimony that he felt sad seeing his party "sold out" by its coalition partners.
There is widespread speculation he was referring to Golkar, the PKS and PAN. Committee members from these parties were especially critical of Boediono during the inquiry.
"The sellouts are those trying to cover up the case. As coalition partners, we're doing what the President wanted: thoroughly probing the case," Bambang told The Jakarta Post via telephone.
"We don't care about being called sellouts by the Democratic Party, as long as the public doesn't call us that," he added.
PKS deputy secretary-general Fachry Hamzah said his party would ignore Ruhut's remarks as it was not an official statement by the Democratic Party. "The President hasn't made any official statements on the issue," Fachry said.
Echoing Bambang's view, Fachry did not consider his party's involvement in investigating the bailout an act of betrayal.
"Uncovering the alleged bank scandal is not something we will avoid, as agreed (by the coalition). The most crucial point (the coalition agreed upon) is the commitment to eradicate graft," he said.
Some observers, however, claim the coalition partners' move was proof it wanted to weaken the coalition established by Yudhoyono.
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political expert Ikrar Nusa Bakti said the weak coalition made it easy for coalition partners to alter their stances in line with their interests.
Ikrar criticized Golkar's demand that Boediono be suspended for the duration of parliamentary inquiry into the bailout case, saying the party wanted one of its own in the vice presidential post.
The PKS, Ikrar continued, was using this platform in an attempt to clean up its public image. The PAN, Ikrar said, played a critical role in the case because of the party's internal rift. One of the party's factions wants a more neutral position in parliament instead of sticking to the Democratic Party.
University of Indonesia political commentator Arbi Sanit said the situation highlighted the lack of leadership in parliament on the coalition's part.
He said Yudhoyono was the leader of the coalition, and that a similar leader was needed at the parliamentary level should the coalition want to remain solid.