Ani Yudhoyono `Atur Kabinet SBY`Dibantah oleh Partai Demokrat
Democrat Party Denied First Lady Ani Yudhoyono as Adviser to President Yudhoyono
Reporter : Rizki Saleh
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Jakarta (B2B) - Wakil Ketua Umum Partai Demokrat Max Sopacua membantah informasi yang Wikileaks yang diberitakan The Australian bahwa Ibu Ani Yudhoyono mengatur berjalannya kabinet di pemerintahan Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"Kami menilai berita itu bohong mengenai berita bahwa Ibu Ani mengatur (kabinet) seperti yang ditulis Wikileaks. Banyak menteri dari luar Partai Demokrat sehingga tidak mungkin Ibu Ani mengatur kabinet," kata Max di Gedung DPR, Jakarta, Senin.
Media Australia, The Australian membeberkan alasan intelijen negara itu menyadapat telepon Ibu Negara, Ani Yudhoyono pada 2009 dan langkah penyadapan itu sudah disiapkan sejak 2007. Dalam pemberitaannya, disebutkan penyadapan dilakukan Defence Signal Directorate kepada Ani karena dinilai orang berpengaruh terhadap SBY. Selain itu, Ani dianggap sedang menyiapkan kursi kekuasaan untuk Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.
The Australian mendapat bocoran dari Wikileaks pada 17 Oktober 2007 melalui kawat diplomatik yang dikirim dari Kedutaan Australia di Jakarta kepada diplomatik Amerika Serikat di Canberra dan CIA. Kawat diplomatik itu berjudul "A Cabinet of One, Indonesia`s First Lady Expands Her Influence" yang menjelaskan peranan Ani Yudhoyono yang sudah tiga tahun menjadi "first lady".
Ibu Ani juga disebutkan memiliki posisi penting dalam pengambilan keputusan di pemerintahan Indonesia karena posisinya sebagai istri Presiden SBY. Selain itu, Ibu Ani juga dituding memanfaatkan aksesnya ke presiden untuk membantu teman-temannya dan menyingkirkan musuhnya termasuk Jusuf Kalla.
Max mengingatkan dalam kabinet Presiden SBY tidak hanya diisi oleh Partai Demokrat, namun ada partai-partai lain. Menurut dia, apabila Ibu Ani memiliki pengaruh maka partai politik yang lain akan menanyakan kepada Ibu Ani.
"Parpol di Kabinet Jilid II tidak hanya diisi Partai Demokrat namun ada PKS, PPP, dan Partai Golkar. Kalau (Ibu Ani) interogasi para menteri dari partai lain pasti akan menanyakan," ujarnya.
Menurut dia, bagi Demokrat tidak ada sesuatu hal positif dari informasi yang dikeluarkan Wikileaks.
Dia menyadari bahwa saat ini Demokrat sedang menjadi sorotan publik, sehingga Wikileaks mengangkat masalah-masalah yang tidak substantif.
"Ini era penyorotan terhadap pemerintah SBY, sehingga ada kesempatan Wikileaks mengangkat masalah yang sebenarnya tidak substantif dan tidak pada posisi yang strategis bahwa orang bisa mendalami datanya," ucap Max.
Jakarta (B2B) - Deputy Chairman of the ruling Democrat Party Max Sopacua has denied information published by The Australian, which reveals that First Lady Ani Yudhoyono is playing a big role in the Indonesian government, particularly at the ministerial level, a spokesman said.
"It is not true. There are also ministers who come from parties other than the Democrat Party. It is not possible for the First Lady to indulge in such actions," said on Monday, while commenting on the article, which was written based on information from Wikileaks.
The Australian in an article entitled, "Why Australias spies targeted SBYs wife," published on Saturday pointed out that Australias intelligence agencies had wire-tapped the mobile phone of Indonesias First Lady in 2009 because she had become the single most influential adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and was suspected of hatching a presidential succession plan for her eldest son.
According to The Australian, the decision to target Ani Yudhoyonos phone was not taken on a whim, but was part of a deliberate and calculated strategy to learn more about the shifting balance of power inside Jakartas ruling elite.
Ani Yudhoyono was also believed to have used her position as the First Lady to help her friends and disparage her foes, including Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla. The wire-tapping was carried out by the Defence Signals Directorate (now called the Australian Signals Directorate) in 2009. The United States National Security Agency is believed to have been aware of the surveillance and supportive of it.
Indonesia and Australias bilateral relations have been strained following the coming to light of a leaked document, which revealed that in 2009, Australia wire-tapped the private cell phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and several top Indonesian ministers.
In response to the report, Indonesia had suspended bilateral cooperation with Australia, including exchange of intelligence data, joint military exercises and joint cooperation to tackle the issue of boat people, which is a huge political issue in Australia.
President Yudhoyono had also emphasized at a press conference held recently that there was a need for a code of conduct between Australia and Indonesia to ensure that such spying activities do not recur in the future.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had welcomed the idea of establishing a code of conduct.
The meeting between the two ministers is said to be an early step towards the creation of such a code of conduct.
