Akbar seeks a quick appointment for new police chief<\/p>\n
Abu Hanifah
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives have begun to assess the
\nnomination of Comm. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar for National Police chief
\non Tuesday, with House Speaker Akbar Tandjung calling on members
\nto complete the process before Nov. 30.<\/p>\n
Despite Akbar's wishes, the nomination looks set to become a
\ncontentious, and possibly time-consuming issue in the coming
\nweeks with two minority House factions already promising to
\nblock, or slow down, the process.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has put forward only one
\ncandidate to replace the retiring Gen. Surojo Bimantoro as
\nNational Police chief.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro, whose own appointment last year was controversial
\n-- the House selection process was bypassed -- recently turned
\n55, the mandatory retirement age for police officers. Unless the
\nHouse endorses Da'i's nomination before the end of the month,
\nMegawati would likely have to extend Bimantoro's term by one more
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Da'i, 51, currently heads the anti-narcotics unit of the
\nNational Police.<\/p>\n
While apparently appealing for expediency, Akbar told
\nreporters after chairing the House's plenary session that he had
\ninvited all factions to take an active part in the nomination
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
But in his address to House members, it seemed clear what his
\npreference was, describing Da'i as someone who had been selected
\nby the President as one of the \"nation's best sons.\"<\/p>\n
The two largest factions in the House, Akbar's own Golkar and
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) led
\nby Megawati have endorsed Da'i's nomination.<\/p>\n
Together they account for 273 of the 500 seats in the House,
\nand a simple majority is needed.<\/p>\n
Open opposition came from the National Awakening Party (PKB)
\nand the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), with 58 and 13 seats
\nrespectively, while other factions have yet to state their
\nstance.<\/p>\n
PKB had its own reason to oppose Da'i's nomination.<\/p>\n
He was fired from his post as East Java police chief by then-
\npresident Abdurrahman Wahid in July following a riot in Bondowoso
\nin which a PKB party supporter was shot by police.<\/p>\n
PKB faction chairman Ali Masykur Musa said that Da'i had a
\nquestionable track record and added that Megawati should submit
\nmore than one candidate for the House to consider.<\/p>\n
The PBB faction questioned Da'i's record during his service as
\nchief detective in the National Police headquarters, reminding
\nthe legislators that he was in charge when the police lost a
\nmajor corruption case against defendants in the high profile Bank
\nIndonesia Liquidity Aid (BLBI) case involving over Rp 140
\ntrillion. (about US$14 billion at the current exchange rate)<\/p>\n
In the absence of any precedent to the process of nominating
\nthe National Police chief, it remained unclear how significant
\nthe PKB and PBB opposition would be.<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decree No.
\nVII\/MPR\/2000 states that the President appoints and replaces the
\nchiefs of the National Police and Indonesian Military with the
\napproval of the House.<\/p>\n
Akbar said he would refer the nomination process to either
\nCommission I or Commission II of the House, or a combination of
\nthe two.<\/p>\n
Both commissions are tasked to supervise government policy
\nwith regard to national security and police affairs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in other House business, the government's intention
\nto appoint ambassadors for Washington and Riyadh would be
\ndiscussed and Akbar said the legislators would give their input
\non that matter.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that the president had submitted letters on the
\nappointment of Soemadi D.M. Brotodiningrat to become the
\nIndonesian ambassador to the United States and Maftuh Basyuni who
\nis set to take the same post in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\"It is hoped that the House will give an opinion on the
\nappointment of the two ambassadors,\" Akbar said at the opening of
\nthe House session here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Soemadi currently serves as the Indonesian ambassador to
\nJapan, while Basyuni is the Indonesian ambassador to Kuwait.<\/p>\n
Based on a recent amendment to the Constitution, the president
\nis obligated to consider the opinion of the House in the
\nappointment of ambassadors and envoys.<\/p>",
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