Yudhoyono to sue politician over marriage allegations
Sun, Jul 29, 2007
The Straits Times
JAKARTA - AN INDONESIAN politician who was dismissed for practising polygamy has accused President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of being married before he entered military school, which is strictly forbidden.
In response, Dr Yudhoyono said he planned to file a lawsuit against former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Zainal Ma'arif for his 'outrageous' allegations.
The politician earlier accused the President of issuing a decree allowing Mr Zainal's Reform Star Party to strip him of his House membership after he took a second wife. Mr Zainal was also expelled from the party for practising polygamy - which is against Indonesian law - and discharged from his Deputy House Speaker position.
On Thursday, he claimed the President had had a previous marriage before marrying Ms Kristiani Herawati and joined the prestigious Military Academy in 1970 while married, which goes against military rules.
He told reporters he would soon present data supporting his claims to the House, Constitutional Court and People's Consultative Assembly.
Dr Yudhoyono on Friday said he would file a lawsuit against Mr Zainal for his allegations.
'It is outrageous and is breaking the hearts of my parents, my wife and children, my big family, my high school friends, my fellow cadets and so on,' he told reporters.
