SOMETHING was missing at President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s consultations with the House of Representatives’ leadership last week. The divestment of 7 percent of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara’s shares, which the government had planned to purchase, was no longer on the agenda.

It seemed odd because the House Commission on Finance and Banking had been strongly urging the House leader to include the mining share in the discussions. “I don’t