Hak Nyatakan Pendapat Bukan untuk Jatuhkan SBY - news.okezone.com

Hak Nyatakan Pendapat Bukan untuk Jatuhkan SBY - news.okezone.com

JAKARTA - Meski kian gencar menggalang dukungan untuk menggulirkan usulan hak menyatakan pendapat, inisiator hak angket Century / Tim 9 membantah rencana itu dimaksudkan untuk menjatuhkan pemerintahan Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"Jangan ada lagi yang mengatakan hak menyatakan pendapat itu untuk menjatuhkan pemerintah, hak itu hanya menguatkan peran DPR," ujar anggota Tim 9, Akbar Faizal dalam jumpa pers di kediaman Jusuf Kalla, Jakarta, Minggu (4/4/2010).

Boikot Wujud Konsistensi DPR

Boikot Wujud Konsistensi DPR

JAKARTA--MI: Wacana DPR untuk memboikot Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani Indrawati, meski bukanlah suatu hal yang baik, tapi tegas menunjukkan konsistensi DPR atas keputusan di Sidang Paripurna DPR.

Pengamat Politik UIN Bachtiar Effendi mempertanyakan kewibawaan dan konsistensi politik DPR jika masih menerima kehadiran Sri Mulyani dalam sidang-sidang DPR. Pasalnya, dengan diterimanya opsi C dalam Sidang Paripurna DPR (4/3), menurut Bachtiar, kredibilitas Sri Mulyani di mata DPR sudah jatuh. "Dia (Sri Mulyani) kan sudah dinyatakan bersalah secara politik. Kalau kemudian, DPR masih berhubungan dengan Ibu Sri Mulyani, kewibawaan DPR di mana, konsistensi politiknya di mana," tegas Bachtiar di Jakarta, Jumat (12/3).

Dalam situasi normal, lanjut Bachtiar, memang menteri keuangan yang harus menyampaikan RAPBN ke DPR, tapi dalam situasi ini, seharusnya presiden tidak memaksakan untuk mendelegasikan tugas ini ke menteri keuangan. Sebagai alternatif, presiden bisa saja mendelegasikan tugas ini kepada menko perekonomian, dirjen anggaran, atau wakil menteri keuangan.

Megawati Tolak Barter Century Suap PDIP

Megawati Tolak Barter Century Suap PDIP

Meski dibantah, aroma barter tetap saja menyengat dalam pertemuan Taufiq Kiemas dengan Syarief Hassan.

KETUA Umum PDIP Megawati Soekarnoputri tidak akan membarterkan penyelesaian skandal Bank Century dengan kasus cek perjalanan yang diduga melibatkan 19 anggota Fraksi PDIP DPR.

Nama 19 anggota Fraksi PDIP itu disebut oleh jaksa dalam sidang perdana di Pengadilan Tipikor Jakarta, kemarin, dengan terdakwa Dudhie Makmun Murod.

Mereka disebut menerima suap dalam bentuk 'traveller's cheque' seusai pemilihan Deputi Gubernur Senior Bank Indonesia Miranda Goeltom pada 2004.

Sidang kasus suap itu digelar hanya lima hari setelah Rapat Paripurna DPR memutuskan kebijakan 'bailout' Century bermasalah, serta merekomendasikan agar sejumlah nama yang bertanggung jawab, termasuk mantan Gubernur BI Boediono dan Ketua KSSK Sri Mulyani, diproses lebih lanjut.

Pembagian Cek Disingung di Rapat Internal PDIP

Pembagian Cek Disingung di Rapat Internal PDIP

JAKARTA--MI: Mantan politisi PDI Perjuangan yang menjadi pelapor kasus penerimaan cek perjalanan ke Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) Agus Condro mengungkapkan, pembagian cek dalam pemilihan Deputi Senior Gubernur Bank Indonesia, pernah disinggung dalam rapat internal partai.

Ia mengungkapkan, jauh sebelum pemilihan Deputi Gubernur Senior yang digelar pada 8 Juni 2004, telah beredar rumor bahwa setelah pemilihan Miranda, tiap-tiap anggota Komisi IX akan diberi uang. Topik cek perjalanan mengemuka, kata Agus, dalam rapat internal yang digelar sebelum pertemuan di Hotel Dharmawangsa yang dihadiri Miranda pada 29 Mei 2004.

Indonesia lawmakers back criminal probe on bailout - Financial Markets - SanLuisObispo.com

Indonesia lawmakers back criminal probe on bailout - Financial Markets - SanLuisObispo.com

Indonesian's parliament called for a criminal investigation into a $715 million government bank bailout in a vote that a newspaper described Thursday as a major blow to President Suslio Bambang Yudhoyono.

Indonesia's independent anti-corruption commission already has been looking into the November 2008 bailout of Bank Century, so the parliamentary vote late Wednesday was a largely symbolic gesture on an issue that has dominated the country's politics in recent months. Still, the move could undermine Yudhoyono's governing coalition.

The Jakarta Post newspaper described the vote "as a major blow" to Yudhoyono, adding it was "a resounding vote of no confidence in the government's decision to bail out Bank Century."

Ambruknya Komunikasi Gertak Sambal

Ambruknya Komunikasi Gertak Sambal

'Fear-arousing communication' (FAC) bisa diterjemahkan komunikasi gertak sambal. Komunikator mengancam, atau menggertak, komunikan untuk melakukan suatu tindakan yang dikehendakinya. Jika tidak dituruti, komunikator mengancam akan mengenakan hukuman terhadap komunikan. Jika komunikan merasa takut, apalagi amat takut, sebab ancaman tersebut, ia diharapkan akan memenuhi tuntutan komunikator. Komunikasi yang membangkitkan rasa takut di pihak komunikan.

Di kalangan ilmuwan komunikasi Amerika, banyak penelitian dilakukan tentang jenis komunikasi yang satu ini, terutama terkait dengan efektivitasnya. Seberapa jauh komunikan atau orang banyak akan takluk terhadap ancaman komunikator?

Iklan-iklan antirokok sebenarnya merupakan contoh FAC yang gamblang. "Jangan merokok. Jika Anda bandel, nyawa Anda akan pendek," bunyi iklan antirokok. Di mana-mana kita juga membaca slogan memerangi narkotika dan seks bebas. "Narkotika berarti maut!" "Awas! Seks bebas berarti AIDS. Dan AIDS ujungnya kematian!"

Panda Nababan Perintahkan Pembagian Cek Perjalanan Rp98 miliar

Panda Nababan Perintahkan Pembagian Cek Perjalanan Rp98 miliar

JAKARTA--MI: Dalam sidang perdana terdakwa kasus dugaan tindak pidana korupsi penerimaan cek perjalanan (traveler cheque) pada pemilihan Deputi Senior Bank Indonesia Miranda Goeltom, Dudhie Makmun Murod, tim Jaksa Penuntut Umum (JPU) membeberkan aliran cek ke sejumlah politisi PDI Perjuangan.

Atas arahan Panda Nababan, Dudhie Makmun Murod membagikan uang sejumlah Rp9,8 miliar kepada 16 rekan lainnya. Hal tersebut dikemukakan Tim JPU KPK yang diketuai Jaksa Mochamad Rum dalam persidangan yang dipimpin hakim Nani Indrawati.

Dalam dakwaan sebanyak 10 halaman tersebut, JPU menjelaskan, penerbitan traveler cheque bermula pada Juni 2004. Saat itu, dalam rapat internal fraksi PDIP, Ketua fraksi PDIP Tjahjo Kumolo menyampaikan untuk pemilihan Deputi Gubernur Senior Bank Indonesia, Fraksi PDIP mencalonkan dan mendukung Miranda Swaray Goeltom. "Sekretaris Fraksi PDIP Panda Nababan kemudian ditunjuk sebagai koordinator pemenangan," ujar Mochamad Rum.

Besok Sidang Praperadilan KPK soal Century

Besok Sidang Praperadilan KPK soal Century

JAKARTA--MI: Sidang praperadilan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) terkait penanganan kasus Bank Century akan digelar di Pengadilan Negeri (PN) Jakarta Selatan, Senin (7/3).

Praperadilan tersebut diajukan oleh LSM Masyarakat Anti Korupsi Indonesia (MAKI) yang mempertanyakan penanganan kasus tersebut oleh KPK dianggap berlarut-larut. "Sidang praperadilan akan digelar di PN Jaksel pada Senin (7/3) pagi," kata Koordinator LSM MAKI Boyamin Saiman di Jakarta, Minggu (7/3).

Trapped Under The Venal Temptation

We might never dream up how costly is the politics and democracy in Indonesia. As consequences all political parties has to buckle down to fund their activities – from collecting members contribution dues, looking for donation, and even – if needed – extorting money from private or state owned companies.

Unfortunately funding over member contribution dues (members levy) seems not efficient enough – so at the end they have to rely on private donations or taxpayer’s money to support their activities. Oftentimes they make use of their members that has ‘power connection’. Either in bureaucratic or in parliament to raise the fund, be it legally or illegally.

What happened behind the latest scandal obviously demonstrated on how Indonesia political parties trying hard to used every opportunities to gain the advantage and tend to neglect the fact that gratification that has been received by their members in parliament possibly will lessen the meaning of democracy itself.

The question is, what makes those politicians easily mixed up with bribery scandals? One of the reasons is the election system. The mixed nature of an election system between partly proportional and partly district give the highest authority to the party in deciding the position of candidate’s nomination – this will confirm that supporting from political party toward a candidate is necessary. Of course, political party does not give their political support to the candidate for free. In most cases, the candidate should be able to provide their funding to get all those supporting political party - and this, nobody knows the actual ammount of those contribution. At short all dealing done under gloominess.

One can say that collecting the fund from candidates prior to the election and earnings deduction over some portion for party’s members elected as parliament member is common. It was practically a common system for most party to fund their activity. However, it can burden some for the financial capacity of a candidate who might come from among the economically average citizens. How ever, this aggravating circumstance for candidates with limited fund. How they can get additional fund while they have to support the campaign activities both for themselves as well as to the political parties then? It preposterous isn’t it.

As a consequence, this condition leads the candidate to gather additional funds over various ways. Even pawning their own, looking for loans or from other sources looking for the sources such as private companies as their sponsor that often bound down with something that could be smell a rat.

Beyond out of doubt, payback for candidate who elected as a parliament member was a piece of cake.. By exploit their position, looking for new source of funding to raise their other income was so easy to do. At one go, some goes to their pocket to payback their liability, and some goes to the parties. Believe it or not, those sources include kickbacks from lobbyists seeking favors and from state agencies as well as Bank Indonesia that grease palms to get legislation approved.

For what it’s worth, democratization in Indonesia has made the election and the efforts to become a politician were lavishly. But, for a wonder, like a bull in a china shop, people came in throngs to be a politician. Might otherwise most of them will ambush into unbearable financial burdens. One thing is sure temptation to make money by illegas means can become inevitable.

But, whatsoever, it was inconsistent if their enthusiasm not to bear out for the democratization it self, moreover if it just for the sake of finding an alternate jobs to look for bread and butter.

Since money becomes a decisive variable in the victory or the defeat of the candidacy, then, how comes for the politicians to say they're going to clean up politics while they have to fork out huge amounts of money to the political party?. It take for a ride isn’t it?

Anti-porno Bill as Ramadan Gift ?.

Anti-pornography bill could be passed within the next few weeks. Under the pretex on the widespread of moral decadence in Indonesia, this bill, which devised to shield the young from pornographic material and lewd acts was needed to apply soon in Indonesia.

According to Article 1 of the bill, pornography is any man-made work that includes sexual materials in the form of drawings, sketches, illustrations, photographs, text sound, moving pictures, animation, cartoons, poetry, conversations or any other form of comjmunicative message. For shortness sake, the bill contains provision that could jail people for kissing in public and criminalize many forms of art or traditional culture that express the sensuality.

Meanwhile, some opponent groups bends over backward to beg off the bill. They still move on to lobbying the House to thwart to endorse the bill. Observers said aside could threat to citizen’s privacy and the country’s pluralism, the bill could pave the way for vigilante groups to take the law into their own hands under a pretext to keep from moral decadence.

Even though some secular and nationalist party in the House had been rejected the bill and caused debating it, but the finalization on a draft of the bill continues. Nevertheless, step to ratification of the bill seemed unavoidable. The House working committee deliberating the bill is set to table the final draft to the House plenary session in the next few weeks.

In the other side, an Indonesian Islamic party and other Muslim organization hoping that the bill could be passing within a few weeks as Ramadhan present for Muslim.

Any way, it is interesting, that the discussion about the bill have been made without drawn public attention. In any event, it was a brainwave to debating the draft over the Ramadhan momentum. Thus the opponent had no chance to go to the street. All movement just confined to lobbying and debating only.

The Fate of Lapindo Mudflow Victims: 'Still Up In the Air'

Almost two years, settlement of compensation payment for the victims of Lapindo mudflow still up in the air. Its look like that the government was brushing aside the Lapindo mudflow victims.

Therefore, some 25 representatives of the victims met with the coalition at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) headquarters in Jakarta to seek the NGO's to prop up their insistence to push for a clear response over compensation payments.

Responds to their demanding, as many as 24 Jakarta-based NGOs, grouped under the Coalition of Justice for Lapindo Mudflow Victims, threw their support behind mudflow victims from Sidoarjo, East Java, by either lobbying or urging the government to compensate them before the post-Ramadhan holiday of Idul Fitri at the latest. Base on that meeting, the Coalition of Justice for Lapindo Mudflow Victims, will press upon to the government to clear up compentation payment process as soon as possible..

In their statement, the Coalition of Justice for Lapindo Mudflow Victims slammed the government for "neglecting" the fate of those displaced by the sludge that has devastated the area since May 2006. So they will prompt the President to take strong measure to resolve the fate of Sidoarjo mudflow victims.

Whatever the detailed points of criticsm may be, the long and the short of it is prompting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to declare an official statement that Lapindo mudflow is the worst industrial disasters in Indonesia. Therefore PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. have to take the responsibility for their procedural errors in the oil and natural gas drilling as caused damaging environmental and suffering the human community . And as consequences he has to repeal the Presidential Regulation 14/2007 which inexorably this regulation just favors corporate interests over the interest of the people. However, this regulation potentialy can dissolves the responsibility of PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. No matter what, without adequate pressure to government, the settlement of payment compensation may remain uncertain.

In the meantime, without continuous pressure toward government to solve the problem as quick as they can, we afraid that this case will only be a political commodities. Even the House has summoned some ministers and other officials tied to clean up efforts surrounding the impact of Lapindo mudflow – but we have to be very cautious here so the summon will not become a formality only to gain political advantage for the election.

Indeed resolving Lapindo case is not an “easy things to do” for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -as the owner of PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. is in the government’s circle of power. Aburizal Bakrie, who heads the Social Welfare ministry also known as one of the biggest donators in Golkar the strongest party in Indonesia, but President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must imposed in all the way to the owners (and shareholders) of Lapindo Brantas Inc to shoulder all costs concerning compensation, containment and rehabilitation.

Although the situation is really difficult for him, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has no choice but to show his political will by resolving this case before 2009 election as this will potentially become his obstruction to win the election. If he take wrong moves then it will be recorded by Indonesian history as one of the greatest failure of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Administration in handling this extraordinary humanitarian disaster.

Agus Condro’s removal, the price that has to pay for a 'lobby'

Finally, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) remove Agus 'whistle-blower' Condro from the House of Representatives.

Recently Agus Condro confessed to the Corruption Eradication Commission that he has received Rp 500 million (US$54,500) soon after the election of Miranda Gultom as Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor. In his confession, he said that few days before vote, there was a meetings of several politicians from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in Dharmawangsa Hotel. Agus who was a member of the party said that the meeting held by Panda Nababan was also attended by Miranda Goeltom, who is now BI senior deputy governor.

Agus had said in his confession that he was not the only legislators who has receive money for voting for Miranda. He mention that his fellow from House Commission IX, which oversees financial affairs, and some PDI-P members also received the money. But, names mentioned by Agus all denied the allegation.
He said they were accept the same amount by PDI-P member Dudhie Makmun Murod at the office of Commission IX chief Emir Moeis, also of the PDI-P members. Caused of his confession evoked suspicion that in the election process to appoint of Miranda Goeltom may contained bribery.

However, his confession enraged party elites and others senior legislators of PDI-P. At last, Agus Condro was removed from the House of Representatives by his party. Not enough, PDI-P has also removed Agus Condro from its list of candidates for next year’s legislative election.

Apparently the dismissal that only apply to Agus Condro was untactful decision to PDI-P. It was done without preceding detailed internal investigation and it also not put into account the possibility to suspend the other legislator that has mentioned by Agus Condro on his confession. The reason that stated by PDI-P Secretary General Pramono Anung -he claimed that the decision was made because Agus has disgrace the party's image by his behaviour- sounds very ridiculous. This case has proven that PDI-P is very pathetic and has no serious commitment in cleaning up the seemingly pervasive corruption in all level rank in the party.

Surely, by this case, PDI-P was in the doghouse. It could limit the chance of Megawati Soekarnoputri to the next presidential race.

So, who has a finger in the pie then ?.