PRESIDENT MEETS MPR LEADERS

Jakarta, Feb 25 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) leaders at the presidential office here Thursday morning.

According to the presidential office, the meeting was held for "communication purposes."
It took place two days after all the party factions in the House of Representatives (DPR) Bank Century Inquiry Committee had made known their respective stances on the government's decision to spend Rp6.7 trillion to rescue the troubled bank.

But there was no official information whether or not the meeting was also related to the preliminary outcome of the parliamentary probe into the controversial Bank Century issue.
At the meeting, President Yudhoyono was accompanied by a number of key cabinet members and Armed Forces Chief Gen.Djoko Santoso.

Among the ministers were Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Radjasa.

Also on hand were Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Agung Laksono, Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, and Education Minister M.Nuh.

The presidential office said MPR Chairman Taufik Kiemas was accompanied by Melani Leimena Suharli, Hajrianto Tohari, Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, and Ahmad Farhan Hamid.

President Yudhoyono was after the meeting scheduled to chair a cabinet meeting and in the evening attend a function to observe the Prophet Muhammad's birthday at the State Palace.

Vice President Boediono, a former Bank Indonesia (BI) governor, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani were among those named by several party factions as responsible for the Bank Century scandal.
Among the factions that had mentioned Boediono, Sri Mulyani, and other government officials were the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Golkar Party.

In response to the party factions' statements. the National Police had pledged to follow up the outcome of the DPR's probe.

But the chief of the National Police's criminal investigation department, Commissioner General Ito Sumardi, said his men would also observe the principle of presumption of innocence.

Before summoning the people whose names were mentioned by the House's Bank Century Inquiry Committee , his men would first collect the needed facts and evidence.

"Although the House's special committee has mentioned the names of the people involved in the bank scandal, they do not automatically become suspects," he said.

The central government has come under sharp public ridicule over its decision to rescue failed Bank Century with a total of Rp6.7 trillion in bailout funds.

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