House seeks solution to chief justice snag<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representative Commission II on
\nlegal and home affairs was charged with finding a solution to the
\ndeadlock over the chief justice candidacy on Wednesday, following
\nMuladi's withdrawal of his nomination.<\/p>\n
\"We assigned Commission II to discuss the withdrawal of
\nMuladi. If the House approves, then he may terminate the
\ncandidacy,\" House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said here after a
\nmeeting with House deputy speakers.<\/p>\n
Akbar, however, indicated that for the time being the House
\nwill remain resolute in its decision to nominate both Muladi and
\nBagir Manan as chief justice candidates and will send another
\nletter to the President urging him to select one of the two.<\/p>\n
\"We will send another letter to the President asking for an
\nexplanation as to why he rejected the candidates when the law
\nobligates him to choose one of the two,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
\"We will not present a time limit for the President to decide
\nwithin, but we underline that the Supreme Court needs a chief
\njustice very soon,\" Akbar added.<\/p>\n
Muladi, widely regarded as having being sponsored by the
\nGolkar Party, decided to withdraw his candidacy following two
\nmonths of uncertainty and will officially notify the President of
\nhis withdrawal after the latter returns from an overseas trip
\nnext week.<\/p>\n
Muladi officially submitted his resignation letter to the
\nHouse speaker on Wednesday, explaining that the prolonged
\nelection of the chief justice would only damage the performance
\nof the Supreme Court. He urged the House to find a solution to
\nthe problem.<\/p>\n
\"I have asked the House to allow me to withdraw my
\nnomination,\" Muladi told journalists after meeting with Akbar.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid has refused to appoint either
\nMuladi or Bagir Manan as chief justice, citing that both were
\nknown to be loyal to the New Order regime and to be partisan.<\/p>\n
Muladi served as justice minister in the last cabinet of
\nformer president Soeharto, remaining in the post under Soeharto's
\nsuccessor, B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
Bagir Manan, a professor of law at Padjadjaran University in
\nBandung, West Java, also served under Soeharto as director
\ngeneral of the justice ministry in the 1990s.<\/p>\n
Separately, Bagir Manan said that he has no reason to withdraw
\nfrom the candidacy because it was the House that nominated him
\nand therefore the House should be the one to withdraw the
\nselection.<\/p>\n
\"It was the House that nominated me and they have not
\nwithdrawn my nomination. What is my reason for quitting the
\ncandidacy?\" Bagir said on the sidelines of a seminar here on
\nWednesday.(dja)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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