News Focus: HOUSE BOYCOTT OF MINISTER WILL HARM PEOPLE'S INTEREST By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 15 (ANTARA) - Some legislators are currently trying to make the House boycott Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati who they say is responsible for the extension of the problematic Rp6.7 trillion bailout to Bank Century but observers say a boycott will only harm the people.

"If the House of Representatives (DPR) boycotts the minister the move will be counterproductive and will only disadvantage the people and the House itself," political observer Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said.

Previously, some of the DPR members had raised a discourse to boycott the finance minister if the government remained firm on its stand that there were no mistakes or violations committed in the extension of the bailout to Bank Century in late 2008 amounting to Rp6.7 trillion.

A special Century inquiry committee set up by the House had finished its investigation into the bailout case and concluded that violations had been committed with regard to the extension of the bailout, naming Sri Mulyani, then the chairperson of the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK), and Boediono (then Bank Indonesia governor, now vice president) as the most responsible persons.

In response to the Century inquiry committee's conclusion, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said recently the government had correctly taken steps with regard to Bank Century bailout because it was extended amid the height of a global economic crisis and intended to protect the country from its systemic impact.

Unsatisfied with the government's response, some legislators raised the idea to boycott a meeting with the finance minister who was expected to discuss with the House the country's 2010 revised state budget.

According to Syamsuddin Haris, the finance minister and the DPR would deliberate the government's budget allocation to finance programs to be carried out until the end of 2010.

If the House boycotts the minister it will delay the realization of fund allocation for all government's programs that would be implemented in the second semester of 2010, including programs in the provinces and in the DPR itself.

"If development programs are hampered it will harm the interest of the nation as a whole," the scientist said.

According to Ikhsan Mojo, director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance Indonesia (INDEF), the boycott if done would not run well because it will only divide the House members. After all, such a move is unconstitutional, he said.

He said that if the House was willing to express its distrust to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani with regard to the Century case, it could take the lawful way as regulated by the law, namely using its rights to express opinion.

In the meantime, political observer Ary Dwipayana of the Gajah Mada University (UGM) said that the boycott discourse on the deliberation of the revised budget with the finance minister was not productive for settling violations in the Bank Century case.

"The move to boycott the deliberation with the minister will adversely be counterproductive because the DPR has actually issued recommendations on violations in the flows of the Century bailout fund transfers ," Ary said in Yogyakarta.

He said that the way that the DPR could take was to form a monitoring committee in charge of supervising the legal process of the Bank Century case so that the law enforcers would soon conduct examinations and investigations.

"If the DPR boycotts the finance minister it will only be counterproductive because it will impede the deliberation of the 2010 revised state budget, hamper public policy makings and disturb legislation process," he said.

He said that the House must be able to differentiate between political processes and public policy ones so that the people's rights would not be disturbed by political matters.

"Boycott will only cause deliberations of public rights and budget to be neglected while there is no guarantee that the legal process of the Bank Century case would run as it desires," he said.

Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa of the Danareksa Research Institute concurred with Ary, saying that if the House was willing to 'flash its political muscle' it should not do it in an area which could harm the interest of the people.

"I would suggest that the House should not do it in an area sensitive to the people's interest but in other places. If it does it with the case of Bank Century,it's okey," he said.

Therefore, Cecep Effendi, political observer of the Jakarta Muhammadiyah University (UMJ), called on the House to withdraw its intention to boycott the finance minister while waiting for the government's response or follow up of its recommendations with regard to the Century case.

After all, the House has sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the matter.

The president himself has asked for inputs from ministers concerned to respond to the House of Representatives' (DPR) letter regarding the Bank Century inquiry committee's recommendations.

Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi said the letter from the DPR had been submitted to the President. "And the President has given directives to the ministers concerned to immediately give their inputs or suggestions and response to the DPR letter," he said.