Camelia Pasandaran – By instructing his own staff members to put the Humpty Dumpty governing coalition of parties back together again, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seems to be showing signs of panicking ahead of the House of Representatives plenary session on Tuesday that will determine the final conclusion on the 2008 bailout of Bank Century, political analysts said on Sunday.
"The fact that the president has sent his own staff members instead of sending officials from the Democratic Party to aggressively lobby coalition parties shows both the seriousness of the situation as well as panic on Yudhoyono's part," said Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political analyst at the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI).
"It is almost alarming to see the president tasking his own staff members, including ministers, to conduct political lobbying. He is panicking and is going all out to prevent the possibly bad conclusion that could come out this week."
Andi Arief, the president's special staff member for social affairs, and Felix Wanggai, the president's special staff member for regional autonomy, said on Saturday that they had evidence showing that Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker Mukhamad Misbakhun had received part of the Bank Century bailout funds. Misbakhun has denied the allegations and has threatened to sue the presidential staffers for defamation.
Andi and Felix have been tasked by the president to clarify and balance "the truth" in the scandal. They have met with the Golkar Party's Priyo Budi Santoso and Akbar Tandjung, Amien Rais from the National Mandate Party (PAN), secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P) Pramono Anung, and the former chief of Islamic organization Muhammadiyah, Syafi'i Ma'arif.
"It is his [Yudhoyono's] order to us to communicate with several parties to inform the truth on the bailout policy," Felix told the Jakarta Globe. "He wants who is right and who is wrong to be made clear to the public and that those who are in the wrong should undergo a legal process."
He said the president made the request months ago, when the House inquiry into the bailout had just begun. Felix said the public had been misled by "imbalanced coverage" after allegations surfaced that part of the bailout funds ended up in the party's 2009 presidential campaign coffers.
"We held the meeting with the political leaders and public figures to balance the information," Felix said.
Ari Dwipayana, a political analyst from Gajah Mada University, said Yudhoyono was improperly using his presidential staff to serve political interests.
"He claims he wants the Century case to be open and transparent. However, he tries to influence the political process with his maneuvers, ordering his own staff," Ari said.
"He is using presidential instruments for political interests when they are only meant to be used for strategic government functions."
Yudhoyono's strategy, Ari said, was to "lock his coalition parties with problems" so that their focus would shift from the Century case, or they would end up taking a softened stance.
"Aburizal Bakrie [Golkar chairman] was warned about Bakrie company tax problems," Ari said. "Emir Moeis [PDI-P lawmaker] allegedly received illicit funds from Bank Century, and then the PKS-Misbakhun scandal. He [Yudhoyono] is holding these parties hostage with these issues in the hope that they will put up a much softened stance over the Century case."
Most of the factions within the House special committee investigating the bailout have stated that the bailout was illegal, with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Vice President Boediono to be held responsible for it. The most vocal parties are the PKS and Golkar, both members of the coalition, which Burhanuddin described as the "naughty kids."