Gen. Da'i sworn in as National Police chief<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
General Da'i Bachtiar was sworn in as the new National Police
\nchief on Thursday amid protests by members of the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) pleading for more time to study his
\ncapability to lead the police force.<\/p>\n
In a brief ceremony attended by ministers, military officers
\nand other VIPs at the State Palace on Thursday, President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri administered the oath of office to Da'i
\nand officially relieved Bimantoro of his duties.<\/p>\n
Just a few hours earlier, the House approved his appointment,
\ndespite protests from several parties saying that Da'i had gone
\nthrough a \"special process\" without the proper steps to examine
\nhis capacity for the important position.<\/p>\n
Da'i, who already holds the rank of general, was the sole
\ncandidate from the president and according to the amended 1945
\nConstitution, the House should give its approval for the
\nappointment of national police chief.<\/p>\n
The plenary meeting, for his approval at the House, was marred
\nby interruptions from legislators of the Reform faction who
\nreminded the House that it should be given more time to review
\nhis career history and suitability for the position.<\/p>\n
Da'i only went through one questioning session by the
\nlegislators on Monday.<\/p>\n
However, after only a few debates most factions at the House
\nagreed to approve the nomination on Thursday, while the State
\nSecretary had already prepared the swearing-in ceremony on a day
\nearlier.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who also attended the ceremony
\nsaid that the President thanked him for processing the Da'i
\nappointment smoothly, so the President could swear him in on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
\"In my meeting with the President, she thanked me for the
\nHouse approval for the new police chief,\" Akbar said, after few
\nminutes meeting with Megawati after the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Da'i's appointment comes one day after Jakarta police arrested
\nHutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra, fugitive son of the former
\npresident Soeharto, after a year-long of manhunt.<\/p>\n
Da'i was tasked to immediately tighten discipline in the
\npolice force and improve morale as well as concentrate on many
\nunsolved cases including the attack against the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) in 1996.<\/p>\n
\"I will put all cases as my main priorities, and at the same
\ntime conduct internal improvement of all police organizations,\"
\nDa'i, who was still a three-star general as of Thursday morning,
\nsaid after the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Previously, several factions at the House rejected his
\nnomination saying that he had a bad track record during his
\ntenure as police detective and his recent service as East Java
\nPolice chief.<\/p>\n
He is accused of human rights abuses as five pro-Abdurrahman
\nWahid demonstrators were killed by his subordinates in a huge
\ndemonstration in Bondowoso, East Java. They also revealed an
\napparent lack of success when investigating a 1999 scandal
\ninvolving the misuse of billions of dollars in bank liquidity
\nfunds supplied by the central bank.<\/p>\n
Da'i who served as head of police detectives with the National
\nPolice during the reform movement uprising in 1998 is under fire
\nfor his nomination to replace Bimantoro.<\/p>",
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