17 justice candidates proposed

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives announced on Friday the names of 17 candidates it hopes to propose to President Abdurrahman Wahid to serve in the Supreme Court.

The list includes Judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, a reputable former judge, whom the President personally nominated for chief justice; and former minister of justice Muladi, the Golkar nominee who insists on having the top Supreme Court job or else.

The list will be sent to the President on Monday, Panda Nababan, a member of the House's working committee to select the candidates, told reporters.

By law, the President has the right to select any of the names proposed to him by the House. That right means the President can reject all the names or only pick some of the names.

There are 20 vacancies in the Supreme Court including the position of replacement to Chief Justice Sarwata, who retires next month.

Nababan said the list sent to the President would include the ranking and the scores from the "fit-and-proper test" which the working committee conducted on the candidates last week.

Their score and ranks would not be disclosed to the public.

Of the 46 candidates tested, only 17 passed.

During the test, the working committee grilled the candidates on their vision, mission, professional competence and moral integrity. Many career judges who were proposed failed on grounds of moral integrity, especially when they considered a gift as a normal expression of gratitude if given after they had delivered a verdict.

Sources close to the investigation said that Muladi, who caused controversy during the test by demanding the top Supreme Court job, came second from the bottom in the list of 17 names.

They said Muladi scored a low 6.6 on a scale of 1 to 10 on moral integrity, which would have disqualified him were it not for a ruling that rounded up his score to 7.

Benjamin ranked nine in the list, the sources said.

Topping the list was Bagir Manan of the Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, who also serves in the National Ombudsman Commission. He is followed by Artidjo Alkostar, Mahjudin, Andi Sjamsu Alam and Valerine J. Kierkhoff.

During a House plenary session to endorse the names on Friday, the inclusion of Muladi in the list prompted protests from legislators.

G. Seto Harianto, chairman of the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) faction, questioned Muladi's craving for the top job.

"Why have we included Muladi if he wanted nothing less than to become the chief justice?" Seto asked.

By law, the matter of the chief justice should be determined by the justices serving in the Supreme Court. (jun/bby)

Candidates: Abdul Kadir Mappong, Abdul Rahman Saleh, Andi Sjamsu Alam, Artidjo Alkostar, Bagir Manan, Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, Chairani A. Wani, Edith Dumasi Tobing Nababan, Mahjudin, Margana, M. Said Harahap, Muchsin, Muhamad Laica Marzuki, Muladi, Rifyal Ka'bah, Syamsuhadi, Valerine J.L. Kierkhoff