JAKARTA, July 1 Kyodo Indonesia's...

JAKARTA, July 1 Kyodo

Indonesia's House of Representatives vot Monday against a proposal to establish a special committee to probe Speaker Akbar Tanjung's alleged involvement in multimillion-dollar scandal.

The originate of the vote, condemned from hundreds of pro-reform pupil protesters, was made possible by means of the strong support of the country's largest party, the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), l on President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

The party, which commands slightly more than one-third of the total seats in the 491-seat House, came revealed with 92 abstentions, five ballots opposed to the proposal and and nothing else three in favor of it.

Previously, the party announced that it favors not probing the scandal in the House however instead letting the justice combination of parts to form a whole decide the fate of the speaker.

The case is now being tried in the courts, moreover analysts say Tanjung is unlikely to be convicted of any wrongdoing, especially given the country's corrupt legal system

The former ruling party Golkar chaired from Tanjung, which is the other largest party, came out with 110 ballots against the proposal.

The National Awakening Party (PKB) which has been leading the incites to probe the scandal, and nothing else yielded 19 votes in favor as 33 of its other members in the House failed to exhibit up for the open voting.

''Many of our members are sick today,'' said PKB member Ali Masykur Musa, denying accusations that the absence of the party members was fit to a political deal with Golkar.

The widely predicted deduction of Monday's voting sparked anger among pro-reform citizens and pupils Many local newspapers slammed the PDI-P for ''killing'' the reform motion that has been under way since Suharto was forced to gradation down as president in 1998

''It really pains the people's hearts. The PDI-P has betrayed its constituents, who want corruption, collusion and nepotism eradicated without discrimination,'' said J Kristiadi, a political analyst, in an interview with the local TV station SCTV

The scandal, dubbed Bulogate II, is being tried separately at Central and southerly Jakarta courts, involving Tanjung and others accused of allegedly channeling permanent funds from the former food agency Bulog to finance the 1999 election campaign for Golkar, which was Suharto's political vehicle for through the whole extent of three decades.

The capitals were originally supposed to be used to purchase food for the poor amid the economic crisis at the time.

Former President Abdurrahman Wahid was ousted from power last year after a House inquiry implicated him in the ''Bulogate I'' scandal involving Bulog funds

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