Bagus Budi Tama Saragih and Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – The Golkar Party backed down Friday in its attempt to impeach Vice President Boediono over the Bank Century Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout, saying the move was too costly for the country.
The second-largest party in the House of Representatives reaped criticism after its legislators said Thursday that Boediono, who headed Bank Indonesia, played a pivotal role in the ailing bank's bailout and that the party would move to impeach him. Critics said the move would be too hasty because the legislative inquiry into the case was far from over.
Golkar executive Priyo Budi Santoso said Friday that using impeachment to resolve the Bank Century case would be "too costly for the country".
"We have yet to see the urgency for an impeachment, unless the inquiry committee finds gross violations against the Constitution and a betrayal of the state," he said.
On Thursday, Golkar chairman Setya Novanto said that BI, the Financial System Stability Committee, the Capital Market and Financial Institution Supervisory Agency and the Deposit Insurance Corporation were organizations that were responsible for the bailout fiasco.
"We will recommend that Boediono be impeached," Novanto said as quoted by Koran Tempo newspaper. But he clarified his statement Friday. "No Golkar members have mentioned anything about Boediono's impeachment. We are not targeting certain people," he said.
Priyo, also a House deputy speaker, said Golkar politicians in the inquiry team did not have reasons to justify impeachment. Besides, Golkar would not interfere in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's prerogative to reshuffle his Cabinet if his aides were implicated in the case, "including (Finance Minister) Sri Mulyani," he said.
Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie said on his Twitter account, "(Impeachment) is not an option. Besides, (impeaching) would not be easy."
Golkar is Yudhoyono's largest coalition party along with smaller Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Coalition party politicians reiterated their opposition to impeachment. PPP party chairman Hasrul Azwar said, "Our party has never considered impeachment."
Fahri Hamzah from the PKS said that impeachment would be possible if the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) found Boediono guilty of criminal acts in his decision to salvage Century.
The strongest opposition to impeachment came from Yudhoyono's Democratic Party. "We respect those pursuing impeachment, but our common sense says it's irrelevant," Anas Urbaningrum, a member of the inquiry committee from the Democratic Party, said.
Opposition Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), meanwhile, stated that the inquiry team would focus first on finding irregularities and violations instead of naming people who should take responsibility.
"Besides, the inquiry is still in progress," PDI-P inquiry team member Ganjar Pranowo said. "Recommending an impeachment is jumping to conclusions."
"We must focus on the case and make sure we do not politicize it. We do not have vested interests in the case. We want to get to the truth of the bailout," Ganjar said.