Setya Novanto, house speaker in the Indonesian House of Representatives, has been urged to resign following corruption allegations. (Photo from Indonesian House of Representatives website)
Catholics are among thousands of people urging a leading Indonesian politician to resign following revelations he tried to secure shares in the U.S-based mining company Freeport McMoran during contract renegotiations.
In June, House Speaker Setya Novanto, a Golkar party politician, allegedly asked Freeport's management to grant him a 20 percent stake in the gold and copper mining giant in order to ensure a contract extension. An audio recording of the conversation was handed to parliament's ethics commission on Nov. 16 by mineral resources minister Sudirman Said, triggering calls for Novanto's dismissal.
More than 60,000 people — including Catholics in East Nusa Tenggara province, which Novanto represents in the national parliament — have signed an online petition urging his immediate resignation.
On Nov. 18, FKB Flobamora, a forum of East Nusa Tenggara citizens in Jakarta, appealed to the Corruption Eradication Commission to investigate alleged graft in Novanto’s case.
Lucius Karus, a Catholic researcher at Parliament Watch — known as Formappi — said that Novanto's actions were "unacceptable and unjustifiable."
"The behavior of parliamentarians is restricted by a code of conduct to prevent abuse of power for individual interest and benefit," he told ucanews.com.
Father Benny Susetyo, general secretary of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, said Novanto "has degraded the status of the House of Representatives, and therefore he must resign voluntarily."
Meanwhile Franciscan Father Yohanes Kristoforus Tara, chairman of East Nusa Tenggara Youth Forum for Justice and Peace, told ucanews.com that Novanto has disappointed and hurt the people of the region.
"Currently, [East Nusa Tenggara] people are craving clean water, facing malnutrition and inadequate infrastructure. But all he does is just think about himself," said Father Tara.
Novanto, a businessman turned politician from East Java, began as a fertilizer dealer in East Nusa Tenggara, later diversifying and expanding to other districts, such as a hotel in Labuan Bajo on the westen part of Flores.
Kris Bheda Somerpes of Sunspirit for Justice and Peace, a nongovernmental organization that promotes products produced by indigenous communities, said Novanto most recently used his influence to privatize Pede Beach in Labuan Bajo, the only open space for local people.
"Grabbing people's resources, for instance, through the privatization of Pede Beach, shows Novanto's disrespect and abuse of trust given to him," Somerpes said.
