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  • Bakrie 2019: The return of Soeharto

    Kornelius Purba

    Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie easily won his reelection as party boss in Bali this week because of, among other reasons, his convincing assurance that  he would make local party leaders in 415 cities and regencies and 34 provinces across the country become mayors, regents or governors. They would not need to make any preparations or woo voters. Voters would be meaningless. His mantra was enticing: let us repeat what Soeharto did for the country!

    During his 32-year rule, Soeharto’s Golkar completely controlled the country. Only Soeharto had the right to decide on regents, mayors and governors and on nearly all aspects of life in Indonesia. The glorious era of Soeharto and Golkar should be restored was the message in Bali. And Golkar is very close to the goal of reviving Soeharto’s heyday. Now, when party members want to get lucrative local government positions, they only need two things: Aburizal’s blessing and money!

    How about Aburizal’s own future? The business tycoon — some of his companies are reportedly facing serious financial problems — aims to replace President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2019. Aburizal expects it to be a very smooth win. Even when 150 million voters do not want him to lead the country, he can ignore them. In 2019, Aburizal believes, Golkar will fully control the country at all levels. It will be very easy for him to get full control of the country into his own hands.

    Just ignore the Constitution, which mandates a direct presidential election. As the second-largest political party after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, Aburizal firmly believes, will be the final arbiter in all political aspects of the country by means of indirect elections. There will be no more direct elections. Since 2005 Indonesian voters have had the right to directly elect their mayors, regents and governors. And since 2004, voters have had the right to choose their head of state and government. The Golkar-led Red-and-White Coalition rejects the people’s constitutional right.  

    Indonesians will be denied their right to determine the future of the nation. The coalition leaders apparently believe that God has entrusted Aburizal and the loser of the July presidential election, Prabowo Subianto, with the authority to abolish the direct-election system because it is too costly and too complicated for them (in their eyes, Indonesians are probably too stupid to practice democracy). Golkar under Aburizal’s leadership will take all necessary means to enforce the Law on Regional Elections. His success is almost guaranteed.  

    Shortly before ending his term of office in October, then president Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono issued a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to annul the law that reinstated indirect local elections. To me, Yudhoyono is a traitor to our democracy. His Democratic Party fully supported the law. He became president for 10 years thanks to the direct-election system. He issued the Perppu simply because people were angry with his party’s support for the law. He is a great pretender; a genius soap opera actor.

    The law was supported by Golkar, the Democrats, Gerindra, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP). The House of Representatives will decide the fate of the Perppu early next year and, Insya Allah (God willing) the Red-and-White Coalition believes, it will face no serious opposition to annulling the Perppu and restoring the indirect-election system.

    Let me give a few examples. Next year the popular Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini will end her first five-year term. She would easily win reelection under the direct-election system. But now chairman of Golkar’s Surabaya chapter Adies Kadir knows for sure he stands a great chance of taking over the mayor’s position simply with Aburizal’s consent and of course money. The money is needed to buy the votes of 50 members of Surabaya Legislative Council. It is much cheaper and easier for Adies because he does not need the votes of actual Surabaya citizens.  As long as the 50 legislators are happy with him, and as long as Aburizal likes him, Rismaharini can do nothing to beat him.

    Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama will end his term in 2017. From this point on Golkar chairman of Jakarta chapter Zainudin should accumulate his financial resources. Of course he must also make sure that Aburizal does not change his mind and pick another person to contest the 2017 gubernatorial election.

    Isn’t it so very easy? Thanks to Soeharto, Aburizal believes that he will also be able to pursue his dream of becoming president. In public of course he must hide his ambition. From now on he just needs to concentrate on how to amend the Constitution and in 2019 there will be no more direct presidential elections. The People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) will take over the voting right of Indonesians to elect their president. The MPR comprises the 560-member House and the 132-member Regional Representative Council.

    Changing the Constitution apparently is just a technicality for Aburizal, as he pointed out in a recent interview with a national newspaper how an indirect presidential election was possible.

    Aburizal only needs to find effective ways to eliminate his potential rivals, including Prabowo, in the 2019 (indirect) presidential election. With former Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung as his chief advisor, it seems that Aburizal will not face any hurdles to realizing his promise and dream: indirect elections. The Jokowi camp, the Great Indonesia Coalition, is trying to weaken the Red-and-White Coalition. At least for a while, Aburizal and Prabowo are still in full control of the coalition. So, Soeharto’s complete return in 2019 is almost guaranteed.

    The writer is senior managing editor of The Jakarta Post

    Sumber: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/07/bakrie-2019-the-return-soeharto.html

  • Aburizal could be forced to settle Lapindo mudflow

    Aburizal could be forced to settle Lapindo mudflow

    The House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed into law a bill that allows president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to force chairman of the Bakrie Group, Aburizal Bakrie, to fulfill his Rp 781 billion (US$65 million) financial obligation to the victims of the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, next year.

    Aburizal, who is also Golkar Party chairman, has lost the privileges he has enjoyed between 2007 and 2014 courtesy of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration.

    The President had allocated more than Rp 6 trillion to compensate villagers living in the vicinity of the so-called “affected area map”, which was legalized via a presidential decree in 2007.

    Such generous financial protection for the Bakrie Group was among the reasons why Golkar helped the Yudhoyono government remain stable in the face of nationwide protests at the President’s generosity toward the conglomerate.

    However, the 2014 state budget, which was passed during Monday’s plenary meeting, no longer mentions such spending. Instead, Article 16 (2) only stipulates that “the [central] government can give a grant to local governments for post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.”

    Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Rieke Diah Pitaloka applauded the absence of an article stipulating that the government take over the financial burden caused by disaster, which was allegedly caused by PT Lapindo Brantas, an oil and gas company affiliated with Golkar chairman Aburizal, during its drilling operations in 2006.

    “Lawmakers and the government should have erased the article long ago. It doesn’t make sense if taxpayers take over responsibility [for paying] from the company that triggered the disaster in the first place,” she told The Jakarta Post.

    Lalu Mara, deputy secretary general of Golkar and Aburizal’s close aide, declined to comment on the House’s decision.

    “It’s better to contact Pak Andi Darussalam to seek a comment on the matter,” he said, referring to the vice president of Lapindo Minarak.

    There have been several efforts to stop the mud eruption, including a relief well method and the insertion of concrete. However, none have been able to stop the flow of mud, which many geologists believe could last up to 30 years.

    In 2007, the government also established the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) to handle and control the mud eruption, relocate infrastructure, recover infrastructure, and supervise Lapindo in handling compensation for villagers in the affected area.

    Lapindo, via its subsidiary PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, recently claimed it needed to pay another Rp 781 billion of the required Rp 3.8 trillion in compensation to more than 4,000 victims who used to live within the affected area.

    Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, who leads the BPLS advisory board, said last week that the agency had recommended the government use the 2015 budget to help pay the remaining compensation.

    However, Finance Minister Chatib Basri reiterated over the weekend that according to a Constitutional Court ruling issued earlier this year, the government was obliged to force Lapindo to complete payment of compensation to victims of the mudflow disaster.

    Another PDI-P lawmaker, Arif Budimanta, reminded Jokowi and his incoming administration to ensure that outgoing President Yudhoyono, who proposed next year’s state budget, did not spread funds for compensation among the budgets of certain ministries or other state institutions.

    “We need to make sure that those who caused it [the mud disaster] take responsibility for what they have done,” Arif said.

    Hasyim Widhiarto

    Sumber: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/30/aburizal-could-be-forced-settle-lapindo-mudflow.html

  • Sidoarjo victims still striving for justice

    Sidoarjo victims still striving for justice

    Temporary fix: Workers from the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) dig a temporary canal for the smooth flow of mud in Gempolsari village, Porong, Sidoarjo, East Java, on Wednesday. The dam collapsed recently and affected many houses in the village.

    Despite the threat of overflowing hot mud that may engulf their house at any time, Suwandi, 75, and his wife, Saniakah, 70, insist on staying in Gempolsari village, Porong district, Sidoarjo regency, East Java.

    They even remained indifferent to news that some embankment spots had been recently damaged.

    “On Wednesday morning, a section of the embankment was damaged and the mudflow almost reached my house. I’ve lost count of the number of times damage has been caused to the embankment,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

    Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) spokeperson Dwinanto Hesti Prasetyo said there were dozens of vulnerable spots in the mud reservoir. They included spot No. 34, where the mudflow surface was only 50 centimeters lower than the top of the embankment, and spot No. 22, which was only 25 cm lower.

    “Spot No. 21 is the riskiest because it is located by Jl. Raya Porong and the railway track. This is worrying because according to the BMKG [the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency], we will enter the rainy season in October,” he said.

    He explained that the embankment that surrounded the mudflow remained damaged because his agency could no longer channel the mud into the Porong River as it was prevented from doing so by the affected residents.

    “Residents who have not yet received compensation have blocked BPLS workers from channeling the mud into the Porong River to ease the burden of the mud reservoir,” Dwinanto said.

    Reno Kenongo subdistrict secretary Subakri said people had blocked the agency workers as they were dismayed by the government’s and PT Lapindo Brantas’ promises of compensation.

    “We will continue our struggle by doing whatever is necessary to fight for our rights,” Subakri said.

    On May 29, 2006, the lives of residents in Porong were changed forever following an eruption of a mudflow. The previously green area was turned into a huge, deserted expanse covered with dried mud.

    The eruption took place near a drilling site belonging to Lapindo Brantas. This triggered speculation that Lapindo may have been negligent during its drilling process.

    Lapindo, however, cited a number of scientists’ arguments that the mudflow was triggered by a 6.3 Richter scale earthquake that had hit Yogyakarta two days before the eruption took place.

    A spokesperson of the joint secretariat of Lapindo mudflow victims, Khoirul Huda, said 3,200 of 13,200 documents proposed compensation worth Rp 780 billion (US$65.7 million) that had not yet been paid by PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya as the cashier of Lapindo Brantas.

    Ahmad Khozin, another victim of the mudflow, said the victims were glad to learn that the Supreme Court had told the government to take responsibility for the payment of the compensation.

    “Yet up until now, there’s been no clarity on this,” he said.

    In frustration, he said the compensation had to be paid soon or all activities on the embankment must cease immediately.

    Suwandi said if the mudflow did not exist, he and his wife would have been spending their old age peacefully by taking care of a chicken farm, but they had to forget that dream amid the mud-strewn landscape.

    He said Lapindo Brantas had stopped supplying clean water to local residents in 2010. Since then, he had bought clean water for daily consumption.

    “We just want justice from the government and Lapindo Brantas,” he said.

    Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) East Java branch executive director Ony Mahardika warned that the government should consider giving attention to the residents’ health as the groundwater had been heavily contaminated with metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that had surpassed the normal level.

    Sumber: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/sidoarjo-victims-still-striving-justice

  • Victims still await full settlement after eightyears

    Victims still await full settlement after eightyears

    Victims mark eight years of the devastating mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, Thursday. Thousands of displaced residents asked the visiting Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to pay the compensation that the government had promised them. (JP/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)

     

    Tjarwadi, 68, a resident of Siring village, Sidoarjo regency, East Java, had not previously known 65-year-old Sadawi Priadi of nearby Glagah Arum village.

    However, they shared the same fate when their homes and all their belongings were engulfed by the hot mudflow originating from the Panji I oil well drilling conducted by PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. in 2006.

    Lapindo is partially owned by the Bakrie family, which is under the patronage of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie. 

    Neither Tjarwadi, a trader, nor Sadawi, a driver for a shoe factory, have received the full compensation long promised by the government.

    “Whereas in fact, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono personally promised to compensate every one of the victims of the Lapindo mudflow by February 2010, this has not happened in reality,” Tjarwadi told The Jakarta Post during the commemoration of the eight anniversary of the eruption of the mudflow on Thursday in Sidoarjo.

    He claimed that Lapindo should have already paid Rp 635 million (US$54,588) for his 235-square-meter plot and 135-square-meter house, but Tjarwadi and his wife Saropah, 55, have so far only received Rp 247 million. 

    “The initial payment was 20 percent of the total amount, while the rest was to have been paid in installments at Rp 15 million per month, but that happened for eight months only. I’ve received no cash transfers for the past year,” said Tjarwadi.

    The same tale was also related by Sadawi who lost 887 square meters of land and a house measuring 165 square meters. He should have received compensation of Rp 1.1 billion, but has only received Rp 320 million as of now. 

    Thousands of people swarmed on top of embankment 22, located west of the gush point, bordering the railway line and the Porong-Sidoarjo highway to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the Lapindo mudflow.

    Presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo also attended the commemoration and met the mudflow victims on Thursday.

    Jokowi, who has been nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party, also signed a political contract with various civil society groups if elected as president.

    “The Lapindo hot mudflow case must be settled. The state must be manifest among the people. If this was resolved it would indicate the state is there for the people,” Jokowi addressed the crowd.

    Jokowi will run in the presidential election on July 9 against Prabowo Subianto who has been nominated by several parties, including the Gerindra Party and the Golkar.

    According to the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) the mudflow has caused Rp 27.7 trillion in losses. It has buried more than 600 hectares of land, displacing 39,700 people and submerging three subdistricts, 12 villages, 11,241 buildings and 362 hectares of rice paddies. 

    Both Tjarwadi and Sadawi were of the same opinion when they were asked about presidential candidate Jokowi.

    “I don’t care about his party. I only see his character. I believe he would not be as hesitant and be able to speed up the compensation process through the state budget,” said Sadawi.

    If he was elected as president, added Sadawi, Jokowi would be the same as when he led Surakarta (Solo) and Jakarta. 

    Sadawi said he was drawn to what he believed to be the humble personality of Jokowi, and he believed him to be close to the people.

    Wahyoe Boediwardhana

    Sumber: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/30/victims-still-await-full-settlement-after-eight-years.html

  • Activists criticize environmental rating

    A government environmental report praising some of the country’s biggest polluters will lead to further deterioration of the environmental situation, according to green groups.

    Furthermore, they said they suspected the Proper (environmental performance rating of companies) rating system was designed to help the polluters improve their image and silence critics.

    “Many of the companies in the report are not eligible for green credits,” Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) executive director Berry Furqan told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

    “The assessment shows the government lacks the will to take serious action to improve the environment and force companies to uphold better management of the environment.”

    The Proper system gives companies a rating of gold (the highest), green, blue, minus blue, red, minus red and black (the lowest), depending on their performance against government environmental management standards. The assessment is not mandatory.

    Walhi particularly questioned the minus ratings, which it claimed were created so polluters could avoid receiving the worst rating.

    “If the government wants to enforce the law, there is no need to use minus blue or minus red. It is not fair,” Berry said.

    Walhi plans to file an official protest with the environment ministry over the report. The ministry announced the Proper rating of 516 companies last week based on the companies’ air and water pollution control, environmental impact analysis (Amdal) and implementation of corporate social responsibility.

    Green ratings were awarded to 46 companies that surpassed the environmental standards set by the government. They included PT Holcim Indonesia, PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper Mill, PT Toba Pulp Lestari, Tbk, PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, PT Chandra Asri, PT Unilever Indonesia, PT Semen Gresik and PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper.

    The blue rating went to 180 companies that complied with the government’s environmental standards, including PT Lapindo Brantas in Sidoarjo, ConocoPhillips Indonesia Ltd, PT Medco EP, PT Pertamina and PT Lippo Cikarang.

    The blue minus rating was given to 161 companies including PT Dow Chemical Indonesia, PT Freeport Indonesia, PT Aneka Tambang, PT International Nickel Indonesia and PT Indo Lampung Perkasa.

    Network for Mining Advocacy (Jatam) coordinator Siti Maimunah said the Proper rating was of greater benefit to companies than to the environment or to communities living near the companies’ operational areas.

    “The Proper program has prompted the companies to manipulate data,” she said.

    The government assessed companies only by their managerial performance and the documents they submitted, she added.

    A member of the Proper team, Gempur Adnan, denied allegations the minus ratings were made to accommodate the interests of big companies. “To meet the minus blue rating is not that easy for companies. They must work hard to improve their environmental management,” he said.

    He also denied there were any backroom deals with companies, saying the process was completely transparent and came under the review of an independent team consisting of activists and media.

    Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post