Jakarta, NU Online
Like previous motions in the House of Representatives to formally question the administration over its policies, the present attempt to investigate the handling of the Sidoarjo mudflow will meet a premature demise, pundits say.
Political analyst Indra J. Piliang of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said over the weekend that members of the House of Representatives themselves were divided over the issue.<>
"The probe will likely be directed at Aburizal Bakrie, the present coordinating minister for the people's welfare, which somehow has won ample support from members of the Golkar Party at the House," Indra told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would undoubtedly defend Aburizal, only from the fact that the wealthy businessman is a member of the United Indonesia Cabinet.
Despite the poor handling of the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, Yudhoyono's administration will find it easy to deflect any queries by House members, Indra said.
"Yudhoyono has recently issued two government regulations concerning the mudflow, one on the establishment of a new agency to handle the mudflow and another on the technical aspects of the mitigation efforts. Yudhoyono will seriously defend these as they were direct decisions from him."
Hot mud has been gushing from a gas exploration site belonging to Lapindo Brantas for the past year. Lapindo is 50 percent owned, not wholly as reported earlier, by PT Energi Mega Persada, which is owned by Aburizal.
Another 32 percent is held by local oil producer Medco and the remaining 18 percent by oil and gas firm Santos Ltd. of Australia.
More than 100 lawmakers from major political parties have signed a petition to summon Yudhoyono and question him over the administration's response to the Sidoarjo mudflow.
Most of signatories of the motion are members of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
No members of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party signed the petition.
The attempt to question the President over the mudflow comes just days after a ruckus over another motion to query Yudhoyono about the administration's decision to support a United Nations resolution sanctioning Iran over its nuclear program.
Indra said that instead of weakening Yudhoyono, the back-to-back questioning motions would serve to bolster his political position.
"This series of challenges against his leadership will only test his leadership quality, and we see that he is more independent now."
Analyst Ray Rangkuti of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle said the intensified opposition against Yudhoyono was merely a prelude to the 2009 elections.
"The motions constitute a mere annoyance for Yudhoyono, part of a ploy to erode his legitimacy," Ray told the Post.
Ray said that although this present motion concerned the real suffering of the people of Sidoarjo displaced by the mud, it would unlikely result in a resolution of the problem.
"It will be an inquiry for the sake of an inquiry," he said. (dar)
Like previous motions in the House of Representatives to formally question the administration over its policies, the present attempt to investigate the handling of the Sidoarjo mudflow will meet a premature demise, pundits say.
Political analyst Indra J. Piliang of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said over the weekend that members of the House of Representatives themselves were divided over the issue.<>
"The probe will likely be directed at Aburizal Bakrie, the present coordinating minister for the people's welfare, which somehow has won ample support from members of the Golkar Party at the House," Indra told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would undoubtedly defend Aburizal, only from the fact that the wealthy businessman is a member of the United Indonesia Cabinet.
Despite the poor handling of the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, Yudhoyono's administration will find it easy to deflect any queries by House members, Indra said.
"Yudhoyono has recently issued two government regulations concerning the mudflow, one on the establishment of a new agency to handle the mudflow and another on the technical aspects of the mitigation efforts. Yudhoyono will seriously defend these as they were direct decisions from him."
Hot mud has been gushing from a gas exploration site belonging to Lapindo Brantas for the past year. Lapindo is 50 percent owned, not wholly as reported earlier, by PT Energi Mega Persada, which is owned by Aburizal.
Another 32 percent is held by local oil producer Medco and the remaining 18 percent by oil and gas firm Santos Ltd. of Australia.
More than 100 lawmakers from major political parties have signed a petition to summon Yudhoyono and question him over the administration's response to the Sidoarjo mudflow.
Most of signatories of the motion are members of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
No members of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party signed the petition.
The attempt to question the President over the mudflow comes just days after a ruckus over another motion to query Yudhoyono about the administration's decision to support a United Nations resolution sanctioning Iran over its nuclear program.
Indra said that instead of weakening Yudhoyono, the back-to-back questioning motions would serve to bolster his political position.
"This series of challenges against his leadership will only test his leadership quality, and we see that he is more independent now."
Analyst Ray Rangkuti of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle said the intensified opposition against Yudhoyono was merely a prelude to the 2009 elections.
"The motions constitute a mere annoyance for Yudhoyono, part of a ploy to erode his legitimacy," Ray told the Post.
Ray said that although this present motion concerned the real suffering of the people of Sidoarjo displaced by the mud, it would unlikely result in a resolution of the problem.
"It will be an inquiry for the sake of an inquiry," he said. (dar)
