Indonesia's Reform President Facing Corruption Charges

by Andi Asrun

In a bizarre twist, Wahid told reporters on December 29 that police had caught the fugitive, but he escaped by jumping out of a window. A spokesman for the National Police responded that Wahid was mistaken and the entire incident had not happened.]

For a country that just emerged in 1998 from three decades of authoritarian rule, concerns are rising about political instability and the implications of infighting between the presidency and legislators for governance.

"If the special committee proves the president guilty, then the House will ask the People's Consultative Assembly to impeach the president," said Sri Bintang Pamungkas, an outspoken politician once jailed by former strongman Suharto.

The special 50-member committee was formed by the House in September to look into charges that Wahid illegally accepted a $2 million humanitarian aid donation from the Sultan of Brunai Hassanal Bolkiah, and that he was involved in siphoning $4.1 million from the national food agency, known as Bulog.

The People's Consultative Assembly is the largest representative body in Indonesia, which named Wahid president in October 1999.

So far, police have arrested Suwondo, a former close aide of the president, on charges of involvement in the Bulog scandal. He will be tried this week.

Reports say Suwondo had asked Sapuan, once the deputy head of the agency, to transfer the $4.1 million, and that in turn the president would name him as head of the agency.

The case is popularly known here as Buloggate, while the case of the Brunei sultan donation is called Bruneigate.

Wahid has categorically denied any wrongdoing and rejected the special committee's call that he submit to questioning. "The committee is illegal, and the investigation is baseless," he told reporters at the presidential palace recently.

But Pamungkas insists that Wahid has a role in the scandals. "I am sure Suwondo was asked by the president to transfer the money," Pamungkas said.

Taufiqurahman, chairman of the Nation Awakening Party of which Wahid is a patron, says the corruption charges are part of a larger agenda by the president's opponents to topple him.

With the investigation ongoing, analysts see little room for improvement in Wahid's relations with the House given the past tension between them.

"The House is also upset with the President's attitude over Tommy's case," Ali said. Tommy Suharto went into hiding one-and-a-half months ago to avoid an 18-month sentence for corruption.

Police have sent two teams in search of Suharto, but have not managed to send him to jail.

In November, a week before announcing that he would not grant Tommy Suharto a pardon, Wahid allegedly had two secret meetings with him.

"How can the president have a meeting with a person whose case is being handled by the court?" Ali asked, calling the meeting "improper."

House Speaker Tanjung called on police to investigate the meeting. "Police must summon the president about his meeting with Tommy, or the president himself explain to the public," he said. "The people are eager to know what the president told Tommy during the meeting."

Apart from the corruption charges and Tommy Suharto's case, critics in the House of Representatives have also clashed with Wahid over his rejection of candidates they deemed qualified to head the Supreme Court.

"His refusal only creates strained relations with the House," said Ferry Mursidan Baldan, a legislator from the Golkar Party, the ruling party under Suharto's administration.

Looking back, some analysts say that while the president began with the stature and integrity to lead a fractured country, his performance in 2000 was poor.

"He actually has a golden opportunity to run the government. But he missed it," said Mulya Lubis, a human rights activist. According to Lubis, Wahid initially had majority support from the five big political parties, but this support has since turned into opposition.

"He has no clear policy in running the government. He also makes the public confused with his statements," he pointed out.

Umar Juoro, an economist at the private CIDES Institute, added: "The president's confusing remarks have also caused the deterioration of the economy."

He pointed to the depreciation of the Indonesian rupiah, which yesterday sold at 9,525 to the dollar, much less than last year's rate of about 7,000 rupiah per dollar.

Catholic priest Franz Magniz Suseno, a professor of philosophy at the University of Indonesia, says Wahid must improve his government's performance to avoid impeachment.

"If the president fails to improve his image, then the situation will create chaos. But I am pessimistic that he will make improvement," he said. "Once he fails to bring the country out of the problem, he will lose the people's support."

Wahid, however, dismisses calls for his ouster. "They are dreaming if they want me to step down in 2001. The government will keep working," he said on Dec. 29.

"They (the opponents) will give me a deadline to step down in March. It's nonsense. But it's okay, they are all my friends," he said, laughing.

Still, Wahid promised to improve his government's performance. "The law has named me president until 2004, so nothing to be worried about in 2001," he said.