President’s inaction only hurts him: Survey

A recent survey says President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s image has taken a battering following his seeming reluctance to step in to the antigraft breach and the Bank Century debacle, which could risk the success of his 100-day program.

The survey was based on reports from five national Indonesian-language dailies — Kompas, Tempo, Media Indonesia, Republika and Seputar Indonesia – from Nov. 3 to 9.

“The public’s negative perception of the President is rated at 64 percent, higher than last week’s rating of 53.85 percent,” Indonesian Survey Circle—Network (LSI-Network) public issues executive director Denny J.A. said Thursday.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) saga revolves around a possible conspiracy between the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office to undermine the antigraft body by framing two of its deputy chairmen, Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, in a bribery case.

A tape indicating the conspiracy was played at a nationally televised hearing at the Constitutional Court, in which it was hinted that Anggodo Widjojo, the younger brother of fugitive graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo, had masterminded the conspiracy.

The tape also indicated possible involvement by Yudhoyono, after individuals in the tape told Anggodo that “SBY has given his support” for the scheme.

“The President has condemned the individuals exploiting his name in the tape, but he has yet to file charges of defamation with the police,” Denny said.

“The President surely has his own reasons, but his policy of inaction on the use of his name only further strengthens speculation of his possible involvement.”

Denny also said Yudhoyono’s apparent dithering in following up on his own fact-finding team investigating the KPK debacle only made it worse for the President’s image.

The team has recommended the charges against the KPK deputies be dropped due to lack of evidence, but Yudhoyono passed on that decision to the police and the AGO.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said Yudhoyono should have taken more definite actions on his fact-finding team’s recommendation.

In a related case, the Bank Century debacle, the President has also been considered to have failed to urging his House-dominating Democratic Party to take concrete action in resolving the bank’s bailout, LSI-Network said.

The Century debacle revolves around the Rp 6.7 trillion (US$710 million) bailout to save the troubled bank, far higher than the initially estimated Rp 1.3 trillion.

Implicated in both the KPK and Century debacles is suspended National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji.

“The Democratic Party legislators are the only ones who have not yet signed the petition requesting an inquiry committee into the Bank Century bailout be established,” Denny said.

“The Democratic Party, again, could have its own arguments, but its reluctance to support the petition only confirms that the President and his inner circle are taking a different stance from that of the general public.”