Lawmakers insistent on Sidoarjo replies

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 06/10/2007 7:17 AM

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

More than 200 lawmakers are preparing a motion to question the government over the handling of the Sidoarjo mudflow and they are determined to obtain from the government a solution for mudflow victims -- even if the President refuses to front up, a legislature watchdog said.

To date, other motions to question the government on important issues have resulted in neither the ministers nor the House giving adequate explanations.

And just days after the mudflow disaster first occurred, the President refused to attend a House session involving a motion to question the government's support of a UN sanction on Iran.

But Sebastian Salang from watchdog Formappi said the President's attendance was not required in order to obtain an urgent and much-needed answer for the victims of the Sidoarjo disaster.

Sebastian said Saturday the House simply had to obtain from the government a full set of solutions to quickly end the mudflow disaster, which has left more than 20,000 people homeless.

For more than a year, hot mud has been flowing from a drilling site owned by mining company PT Lapindo Brantas Inc.

The company is wholly owned by PT Energi Mega Persada which is owned by the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie and his family.

""It doesn't matter if the President comes or not (to the questioning),"" Sebastian said.

""What does (matter) is that the House can force the government to (determine) a quick solution for the victims.

""Then we can believe the motion isn't another political bargain for money or position.""

Lawmakers have attempted several motions to question the government on issues including rice imports from Vietnam, the illegal sale of imported sugar, oil price hikes and the President's costly teleconferences with the United States.

Each motion however had failed to reach the House plenary session because initial supporters backed out, after lobbying from the government.

Sebastian also said the internal conflicts within government regarding Aburizal's position and connection with Lapindo was common knowledge.

But he said the House should use the opportunity to further investigate the conflict of interest.

""And we shall see if the President is protecting Aburizal or the public,"" Sebastian said.

Aburizal is said to have been a key donor to the President's campaign but has kept his position after last month's reshuffle.

University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) political analyst Ari Dwipayana said the government should have been able to dodge conflict of interest issues regarding Aburizal.

""The President should be able to showcase a stern attitude against members of the elite who, in turn, should take full responsibility in solving the mudflow problem,"" he said.

Ari agreed the planned questioning should be used to clarify this issue. He said the way the government had as of now handled the case was extremely poor.

""It's the people who suffer from these political games -- the Sidoarjo residents suffer because they have been left with no certainty about their future,"" he said.

More than 3,500 families in 11 villages have been displaced and small factories have been forced to shut down after the mudflow.

Residents said Lapindo had shown no commitment to take full responsibility for the ongoing mudflow disaster.

They said the company had for the past year ""dragged their feet to compensate the financial loss associated with the mudflow"".

And even though thousands of residents have lost their homes, including all their belongings and important paperwork, Lapindo has reportedly continued to ask for financial and other documents from mudflow victims.