Two candidates running for chief justice post<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chief Justice Purwoto Suhadi Gandasubrata says
\nthat the two candidates nominated by the House of Representatives
\nto replace him have an equal chance of taking the post.<\/p>\n
Purwoto however declined to state his preference between M.
\nDjaelani and Soerjono, both senior justices on the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
\"Believe me, they both have an equal chance to be the next
\nChief Justice,\" Purwoto told reporters on Saturday about his
\npossible successor. \"The most important thing is that the
\ncandidates are our own senior judges, not outsiders.\"<\/p>\n
He said the post traditionally goes to a justice with long
\nservice in either criminal cases, which would suit Djaelani, or
\ncivil cases, which would suit Soerjono.<\/p>\n
Purwoto turned 65, the mandatory retirement age for a chief
\njustice, on Oct. 11 and will leave office at the end of the
\nmonth. The DPR has proposed the two candidates to President
\nSoeharto, who will make the final choice.<\/p>\n
Purwoto, who took the helm of the Supreme Court two years ago
\nafter long service in the court, said he expected Soeharto to
\nmake his decision soon.<\/p>\n
Purwoto was speaking at an inauguration ceremony of senior
\njustices Busthanul Arifin, deputy chief justice in charge of
\nReligious Court, and Moenarso Yahya, a senior judge inaugurated
\nto replace Busthanul.<\/p>\n
Purwoto said he had no influence whatsoever in the nomination
\nprocess but believed that other senior justices were also
\nconsidered, including Bismar Siregar and Adi Andojo Soetjipto,
\nbefore the House trimmed the list to two.<\/p>\n
Djaelani appears to be the front runner by virtue of his
\nseniority in the Supreme Courts hierarchy. He is currently the
\nvice chief justice while Soerjono is deputy chief for traditional
\ncivil cases. Both men are 63 years old which means that whoever
\nis selected will only serve for two years.<\/p>\n
Djaelani was also nominated for the post two years ago. He is
\na retired army major general who began his legal career in the
\nmilitary courts.<\/p>\n
He rose to public prominence in 1991, when as a member of the
\nSupreme Court he was appointed to head the national commission to
\ninvestigate the bloody clashes between the military and East
\nTimor demonstrators, an incident that sparked an international
\noutcry.<\/p>\n
Soerjono began his career as a government prosecutor in 1957
\nbefore he became a court's judge two years later.<\/p>\n
He served as chief of several high prosecutor's offices before
\njoining the Supreme Court in 1982 as Senior Judge. He was then
\nappointed Deputy Chief Justice in charge of Traditional Civil
\nCases in 1992. (imn)<\/p>",
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