blog @abdulmanan

Horse trading between PDI-P and Golkar has sacrificed the basic human rights of former political detainees from the Communist Party of Indonesia. HOW lucky are corrupt people in this country. Although convicted by a court of justice, they retain their right to be nominated for membership of legislative bodies in the 2004 General Election. When you are found guilty by a district court, and even when your sentence is later upheld by a high court, be sure to promptly appeal to the Supreme Court. As long as no verdict of permanent validity has been handed down, you are entitled to stay on stage and talk your head off. Want to be Speaker of the House of Representatives again? Please, feel free to do so. And fellow criminals of the same genre (robbers, rapists, narcotics dealers, murderers)--provided your sentences have as yet no permanent legal validity--please make your way to Senayan. "If one's status is still that of defendant and one's conviction has no permanent legal vali...

Less than a week has passed since it was endorsed, but the electoral law has come under fierce criticism. DOSSIERS and documents were scattered all over the office of Sayuti Rahawarin on the 22nd floor of the DPR building. Sayuti of the Perserikatan Daulatul Ummah Faction (a coalition of minor parties) and two gentlemen were browsing through documents in the 5x6-meter office. They were studying the preliminary and final draft of the election bill before mounting a protest. Last Thursday, Sayuti and two of his lawyers were working extra hard. Apparently, the Daulatul Ummah Party (PDU) and seven other Islamic parties including Muslim Community Awakening Party, Nahdlatul Umat Party, Justice Party, the United Party, and PPI Masyumi were preparing to submit a judicial review of the electoral law to the Supreme Court. The law was endorsed last week and PDU was one of its initiators. Although involved in the passage of the bill, PDU was not happy with the final outcome. "This is a law la...

The DPR has agreed on the `half-open' proportional election system. For Golkar, this system will benefit Akbar Tandjung. THE word defeat is not in the vocabulary of Golkar Chairman Akbar Tandjung. He could even benefit from the tiniest loophole there is to escape from oblivion. The tiny gap that he has just passed is the open proportional election system. The system as explained in the election bill that the House of Representatives (DPR) passed last Tuesday made it possible for voters to directly choose any House candidate that he or she prefers. In other words, the voters in the ballot will punch the name of the candidate according to his preference and also punch a political party logo. How does the system affect Akbar Tandjung? According to a TEMPO source at Golkar, Akbar supporters in the party have long objected to this system. With a closed proportional system--the voter only chooses the party logo--the composition of the House is determined by party officials in the central...

Corruption uncovered by the BPKP in the Ministry of Finance--Rp2.09 trillion--is the highest among all institutions. STILL tired and perhaps experiencing jet lag, the Attorney General's Office spokesman, Antasari Azhar, had to answer a lot of questions. "This is my first day in office after my return from my haj pilgrimage," he said. The Development Finance Comptroller's (BPKP) findings had just been disseminated earlier and only awaited the response of the AGO's information head. The discovery of the extent of corruption in 26 state institutions in the third quarter of 2002 and released to the public by BPKP two weeks ago, was indeed like another "Bali bomb blast". It was reported that there were 734 cases of corruption, causing a loss of Rp3.1 trillion and US$205.4 million. This amount is higher than the amount budgeted for the general election and the direct elections for a president and vice president in 2004, which is Rp3.609 trillion. The AGO maint...

IN the midst of this time of economic scarcity, which profession is the safest and its practitioners the most comfortable financially? Possibly one of the best would have to be that of politician, including in this the members of local legislative councils (DPRDs). Although the economy is still struggling, the salaries and allowances of politicians in local governments continue to be sky high. Why? Because they are free to set their own budgets. At first glance, their monthly salaries certainly appear small, at around Rp5 million. But just listen to M. Zen Gomo, a National Mandate Party (PAN) member in the West Sumatra DPRD. He admits to taking home twice that amount. "I can get Rp11.5 million a month," says Zen. Where does it come from? From all kinds of allowances--such as those for commissions and factions, petrol money, and insurance premiums. From the Rp2.4 million insurance budgeted for him every month, for instance, a member of the West Sumatra DPRD will get Rp100 mill...

Ghoni and Syawad are the latest suspected members of the Bali bombing network. Both are on the wanted list. WHEN she heard the name Abdul Ghoni mentioned by the police, 73-year-old Ibu Pawiro Sukarto was stunned. And she has been depressed ever since. The mother felt that her son is facing difficulties. Ghoni--together with Syawad and Umar, alias Patek--is wanted by the police as he is suspected to be the person who assembled the bomb that destroyed the Legian tourist spot in Kuta, Bali on October 12 last year. Ghoni and Syawad, alias Sudjio bin Siswomulyono, were both implicated by Ali Imron who is now being detained at the Bali Police Headquarters last Thursday. The two friends, according to Imron, had played important roles--as the first technicians to assemble the bomb--from September 25 to October 2. The pair worked on the explosive materials provided by Amrozi. Previously, Ghoni was already wanted by the police, but he was only suspected of providing logistical support to Abdul A...

DPR menyetujui sistem pemilu proporsional "setengah terbuka". Di Golkar, sistem ini akan menguntungkan Akbar Tandjung. TAK ada kata kalah dalam kamus politik Ketua Umum Golkar Akbar Tandjung. Bahkan lubang sebesar semut pun bisa dipakainya untuk keluar dari bahaya. Kini lubang kecil yang baru saja dilaluinya itu bernama sistem pemilu proporsional terbuka. Sistem yang termaktub dalam Rancangan Undang-Undang Pemilu yang Selasa lalu disetujui DPR ini memungkinkan warga negara memilih langsung calon anggota parlemen yang ia sukai. Dengan kata lain, di kertas suara nanti pemilih mesti menusuk nama anggota DPR kesukaannya di samping menusuk tanda gambar partai. Apa hubungannya sistem ini dengan Akbar Tandjung? Begini. Menurut seorang sumber TEMPO di Golkar, sudah lama pendukung Akbar di Partai Beringin tak menghendaki sistem ini berlaku. Dengan sistem proporsional tertutup--pemilih hanya menusuk tanda gambar--susunan anggota parlemen ditentukan oleh pengurus partai di tingkat pusat...