Why, oh, why couldn’t the president had said something like this from the start, before the Bank Century case began to spiral out of control?
And even now, what exactly is he saying? That he approves of their actions generally although he wasn’t consulted about and therefore did not approve their actions?
What sort of a namby pamby statement it is from a leader?
If SBY has any leadership qualities at all he would know that commanding the loyalty and trust of the most capable lieutenants like Sri Mulyani and Boediono is crucual to his Cabinet’s performance and how history would judge him.
With people like Sri Mulyani and Boediono if you believe them then you need not micromanage, just run interference for them to do their jobs and, when they get into trouble, you run interference to get them out of the mess.
SBY did nothing like that. Whe the Bank Century case began to mushroom he hid behind the excuse of non-interference and let them blow in the wind. It is only when the Pansus vots have been counted and SBY himself was personally out of danger that he finally comes out to provide some statement of support for the duo.
For people like SBY his undoing will be the gradual abandonment of good people from his ship. Unspun’s sure that the only motivations keeping Sri Mulyani, Boediono and other smart ministers still in the cabinet is the prospect of being able to do something positive for the Nation; as opposed to working for a shmuck for a boss.
SBY: We Saved Indonesia’s Economy
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday night defended Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, saying they were not guilty of illegally bailing out Bank Century in 2008 as lawmakers have accused, and were instead saviors of the nation.
“Regarding the policy to save not only Bank Century but also the national banking system and even the national economic system from the global crisis, without any hesitation, I affirm that the policy to save Bank Century was accountable,” Yudhoyono said in a speech broadcast live across the nation from the State Palace in Central Jakarta.
He said that if anyone else had been in their position, they would have done the same thing.
The president said that although he respected the results of the two-month-long inquiry into the Bank Century bailout, the process had “forgotten” the precarious situation at the time and the spotless records of Boediono and Sri Mulyani.
“It is often forgotten that our motherland is lucky because the Financial System Stability Committee [KSSK] had already been established, led by Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Prof. Dr. Boediono — two children of the nation whose track records have no blemishes in relation to their competence, credibility and personal integrity,” he said.
Yudhoyono said that the decision was taken at the height of the global financial crisis in late 2008 when a quick response had been needed and therefore they should not be subject to criminal charges.
Although he was overseas at the time and had not been asked nor gave a decision, directive or instruction to rescue the bank, the president said, “I can understand why the decision to save it was taken.”
“Not only understand,” he continued, “but also approve the policy of saving Bank Century.”
Unspun 
Hmmmm… what I heard is Boediono is an opportunistic leader. Not only with Century, he is also currently orchestraing land acquisition in the floodplain of Ciliwung, to create a new real estate project. The Ciliwung River meander in Pengadegan and Kebon Baru is planned to be dissected, and the meander loop is targetted to be acquire. This will create an imbalance of Ciliwung river, that prone to more flood problem.
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