Marsillam appointed as new AG<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid appointed on Tuesday
\nhis old friend and current Minister of Justice and Human Rights
\nMarsillam Simanjuntak as the new attorney general to replace the
\nlate Baharuddin Lopa.<\/p>\n
Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar who made the official
\nannouncement also said Minister of Defense Mahfud MD would take
\nover from Marsillam at the Ministry of Justice while the defense
\nportfolio would be handled by Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical, Social and Security Affairs Gen. (ret.) Agum Gumelar.<\/p>\n
\"The President believes this (reshuffle) will receive a
\npositive public response,\" Wimar said.<\/p>\n
However the President has not signed the decrees on their
\nappointments.<\/p>\n
According to Wimar, Marsillam and Mahfud will need several
\ndays to settle things at their current posts before taking up
\ntheir new roles.<\/p>\n
Wimar further disclosed that the President wanted to allow
\nacting Attorney General Soeparman to complete his investigation
\nof major corruption cases and other duties.<\/p>\n
No date has been set for the swearing-in-ceremonies, however
\nit is expected to take place within 10 days.<\/p>\n
Wimar hinted that the transfer of duties would take place
\nbefore the start of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nspecial session on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
It has been a case of musical chairs for Marsillam who is
\nknown as a former neighbor and long-time friend of the President.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman recruited Marsillam as Cabinet secretary in
\nJanuary 2000.<\/p>\n
In June he replaced Lopa at the Ministry of Justice following
\nLopa's appointment as attorney general. Lopa died last week in
\nRiyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman and Marsillam have been friends since they were
\nneighbors in Matraman, East Jakarta. In 1991, they established
\nthe Forum of Democracy along with other prodemocracy activists.
\nThe forum was one of the few organizations that dared to speak
\nout against the Soeharto regime during the 1990s.<\/p>\n
Born in Yogyakarta in 1943, Marsillam, a medical doctor by
\ntraining, is no novice to politics or the law.<\/p>\n
He took part in the massive student protests that led to the
\ndownfall of president Sukarno in 1966, and received his political
\ntutelage mostly from former leaders of the Indonesian Socialist
\nParty (PSI), which Sukarno banned in 1960.<\/p>\n
He later studied law at the University of Indonesia. In his
\nthesis, he said he found traits of neofacism in the 1945
\nConstitution. He also read Hegel at Berkeley University,
\nCalifornia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, leading human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis has
\nbeen \"in hiding\" in Australia these last few days to duck an
\noffer from Abdurrahman to serve in the Cabinet, friends said.<\/p>\n
Todung, a close friend of the President, had been mentioned as
\none of the chief candidates for the attorney general post.<\/p>\n
Until Marsilam's appointment on Tuesday, his cellphone was
\ndisconnected or he was simply not taking any calls, according to
\na close friend.<\/p>\n
Lopa's death has been particularly untimely for the President
\nwho is desperately trying to win over public support with high
\nprofile corruption cases.<\/p>\n
Commenting on his new post, Marsillam said \"it is not bad that
\nthe public have great expectations, not only of me but of anyone
\nbecoming attorney general.\"<\/p>\n
\"Yes it will be tough,\" he replied on his task ahead.<\/p>\n
Separately, Mahfud said he was ready to accept the post,
\nalthough he preferred to leave the Ministry of Defense after
\ncompleting the new defense bill.<\/p>\n
The new bill is very strategic as, if passed, it would abolish
\nthe role of the military in politics.<\/p>\n
When asked about his new mission, Mahfud said he would
\nprioritize the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
\"My target is to clean up the conduct of judges...especially
\njudges who are working in big cities,\" Mahfud remarked.<\/p>\n
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri has refused to comment
\non the latest changes.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu Megawati was not consulted...but it's the President's
\nright to choose ministers,\" Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) deputy secretary general Agnita
\nSingadikane Irsal told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"She's concentrating on her daily duties in the government and
\nis less bothered with the Cabinet changes than with how the
\nCabinet can help her in running her daily duties,\" Agnita
\nremarked.(tso\/dja\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/marsillam-appointed-as-new-ag-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}