Critics Lament SBY’s Lack of Action Over Team of 8 Report

November 18, 2009
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Febriamy Hutapea & Nivell Rayda

Activists and experts criticized Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s decision to wait until next week to respond to the recommendations of the fact-finding team he set up to look into police handling of a case against antigraft commissioners.

The so-called Team of Eight has recommended that the National Police drop all charges against the two suspended deputy chairmen of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah, for abuse of power and extortion, and that the Attorney General’s Office not accept the case for prosecution.

Public support swung firmly behind Bibit and Chandra after the Constitutional Court earlier this month heard 67 recordings of wiretapped telephone conversations revealing a supposed plot, which included several top law enforcers’ names, to fabricate testimony against the commissioners.

The team presented its recommendations to the president on Tuesday, but Yudhoyono reportedly told them he would respond on Monday.

“SBY must realize that by creating such political drama like this, it will only end up as a huge question mark in the public’s eyes. He must be brave to make breakthrough political policies,” said Hendardi, head of the Setara Institute.

Hendardi told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday that the intense media and public spotlight on the issue over the past few weeks showed that questions were being raised about the future of the nation’s anticorruption drive.

“The president should not hesitate in using extraordinary legal mechanisms,” he said. “The public will support firm and decisive action if it is made in the interests of justice. On the other hand, they will oppose any compromise or politically calculated approach.”

Airlangga Pribadi, a political expert from Airlangga University in Surabaya, said he was disappointed by the president’s decision not to act quickly over the recommendations.

“It will be counterproductive for him,” he said. “He should have followed up the recommendations as soon as possible or he risks being seen as a part of the problem.”

Rachland Nashidik, head of prominent human rights group Imparsial, said the president could not play down the issue.

“This is not about Bibit and Chandra; this is a leadership challenge that requires SBY to take quick and firm action,” he said, referring to Yudhoyono by his initials.

Legislator Nasir Jamil from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also expressed disappointment over Yudhoyono’s stance to delay his decision to respond to the Team of Eight’s recommendations. “This shows that Yudhoyono is not serious and tends to buy time,” he said.

Nasir said he expected the president to at least give an initial statement to provide direction on the issue. “Yudhoyono should not show the public he is full of doubt. I think Yudhoyono has missed capitalizing on this good momentum,” he added.

In Nasir’s opinion, the president should respond to the recommendations by making a decision based on substantive justice rather than simple legalism.

“Stopping the investigation or prosecution is part of legal process — it’s not an intervention,” he said.