Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Visibly irked from the prolonged turmoil within his Democratic Party, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono lashed out at other political parties, saying they were working to sow instability in the country in order to benefit from such a situation.
Speaking of intelligence reports to back up his claim, Yudhoyono said a number of parties had tried to take advantage of the chaos in the Democratic Party to distract him from his state duties and disrupt the work of the government.
"I've been monitoring the political situation and continue to receive intelligence reports. I hope political elites and certain groups can stay within the corridors of democracy in pursuing their goals. However, if they plan to destabilize the state and stop the government from working, this will only bring suffering to the people," Yudhoyono told a press conference at the Halim Perdana-kusuma Airport in East Jakarta on Sunday.
He was due to leave the country for a five-day state visit to Germany, which will also include a visit to Budapest.
"This year and next, the political situation should remain conducive so that the 2014 elections will run smoothly. If the nation is destabilized by the stirring up of problems, it will not be good for the state," Yudhoyono said.
Yudhoyono has been criticized for his handling of the Democratic Party leadership crisis, which ended with the resignation of Anas Urba-ningrum as party chairman. Analysts have said Yudhoyono orchestrated the move to oust Anas.
Anas decided to quit the party following a move by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to name him a suspect in the Hambalang graft case. In his resignation speech, Anas threatened to retaliate against his opponents in the party.
Earlier last week, Anas began his attack on Yudhoyono's family by accusing his son, Eddhie "Ibas" Baskoro Yudhoyono, of receiving money from the Hambalang project.
Also on Sunday, Yudhoyono made a statement that could be seen as meddling with the work of the KPK by saying that Anas should eventually be acquitted of all charges.
"As you all must have known, the trigger of all of these political maneuvers was the situation surrounding Pak Anas. As a result, legal issues have been mixed with politics. My suggestion to him is to focus on his case. Hopefully he will be declared innocent because that will be good for us," he said.
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) activist Emerson Yuntho called the statement unethical. "A President shouldn't have publicly stated that a graft suspect be acquitted of all charges. It's unethical and unwise," he said.
Hifdzil Alim of Gadjah Mada University's Center for Anticorruption Studies (Pukat) said Yudhoyono had contradicted his own statement about not interfering with legal matters. "The President said don't mix politics with legal issues, but he and others in the party have done the opposite," Hifdzil said.
Ray Rangkuti of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle (LIMA) said Yudhoyono might have been trying to distract the public from the most pressing issue.
"Yudhoyono's actions could be due to the allegation that his son Ibas is involved in corruption, and the prospect of Anas using the Bank Century bailout case as his trump card," he said.