Camelia Pasandaran & Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Bogor – In a surprise move seen as an attempt to shore up his authority, Indonesia's president on Thursday warned his detractors against trying to impeach him, noting that the country's presidential system made it especially hard to remove a head of state or government.
"We chose a presidential system, not a parliamentary system. A parliamentary system [can] result in a no-confidence vote, so a cabinet could be [voted] up or down, and ministers might fall. That is not [our] soul," Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Bogor.
Yudhoyono said the Constitution clearly detailed the process for removing a president.
"We should understand the content of our Constitution and implement it in the most correct way," he said. "The president cannot dismiss the House, MPR or the DPD, but it doesn't mean you can implement a culture of no-confidence votes as in a parliamentary system."
His remarks, apparently in response to activists' calls for his removal over the PT Bank Century scandal, followed a four-hour meeting with heads of seven state bodies: the House of Representatives, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Judicial Commission, Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and Regional Representatives Council (DPD). Yudhoyono said the heads had initiated the meeting to discuss 13 crucial issues on democracy, the economy and justice.
According to the Constitution, the president and vice president can be impeached only after a lengthy political and legal process and if found guilty of violating the Constitution. Cabinet ministers cannot be impeached, meaning Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati's job is safe as long as Yudhoyono wants her to remain, despite recent calls for her removal over the Bank Century bailout.
While speculation of a possible attempt to impeach Yudhoyono or Vice President Boediono has faded, opposition lawmakers investigating the bailout have called on Yudhoyono to appear for questioning. The State Palace this week rejected those calls.
Yudhoyono said Thursday's meeting was unrelated to the bailout inquiry.
Airlangga Pribadi, a political expert from Airlangga University in Surabaya, said the meeting reflected the president's "political fear" over the bailout scandal and last year's public brawl between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and National Police, both of which have hurt his image.
"Possibly feeling afraid that his position has been threatened [by the House], the president seems to have felt the need to get assurances from other state institutions," he said, despite the fact that his ruling coalition dominates the House special committee investigating the bailout.
However, Yunarto Widjaja, a researcher with Charta Politika, said Yudhoyono may have been merely expressing concern about the workings of a presidential system in a "messy" country.