Aburizal is set up as coalition chairman to prevent SBY's impeachment

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 05/14/2010 1:18 PM | National

The recent appointment of Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal Bakrie as the chairman of the pro-government coalition parties is meant to secure both President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono from impeachment, a Golkar official says.

"We will face anyone who wants to impeach the President," Golkar faction secretary at the House of Representatives, Ade Komarudin, said in Jakarta on Friday.

A possible impeachment on Boediono has been rising in the media after the House officially named him in early March as one of the people responsible for the scandalous Bank Century bailout.

The bailout suspiciously rose ten times to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) from its original estimation and was authorized in November 2008 by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani and Boediono, who was the then Bank Indonesia governor.

Mulyani herself is set to leave her ministerial post starting June and to work at the World Bank as one of its managing directors.

Ade also stressed that Aburizal would not use his influence to press the President for reshuffling the cabinet.

"Cabinet reshuffle is the President's prerogative right," he said.

Following Aburizal's appointment, speculations are rife that the Golkar chairman will have practically acted as a prime minister.

Aburizal's appointment has also drawn criticism from experts and analysts because they deem that it has ruined the country's presidential system and mechanism, especially after several Golkar politicians say that he also has the authority to summon ministers.

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