Activists wary of politics in KPTKP selection
Activists wary of politics in KPTKP selection
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Activists and observers welcome the inclusion of individuals with
a high level of personal integrity on the list of candidates
vying for posts in the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPTPK),
but are wary of political intervention in the election process.
Anticorruption activist Emmy Hafild from Transparency
International Indonesia (TII) said on Tuesday that she was
pleased with the inclusion of several people known for their
track records in fighting corruption.
"However, we must make sure that these candidates will not be
expelled because of political intervention," she told The Jakarta
Post.
A team in charge of screening applicants vying for posts in
the Corruption Eradication Commission announced on Sunday that
223 of 513 candidates had passed the administrative screening and
would advance to the next stage, undergoing selection tests and
public scrutiny.
Those who passed the first stage include Transparency
International Indonesia (TII) chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas,
Partnership for Governance Reform activist Bambang Widjojanto,
former justice minister Marsilam Simanjuntak, lawyer Indra Sahnun
Lubis and former police officer Insp. Gen. (ret) Momo Kelana.
The selection committee will select 10 candidates for seats on
the KPTPK executive board after they have first been screened for
their credibility, integrity and track records in fighting
corruption.
The team must submit the names of the 10 candidates by Dec. 5
to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who will then short-list
five for approval by the House of Representatives. According to
Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission, the
House must endorse the five candidates within three months of
their nomination by the president.
The commission is expected to begin working on Dec. 27.
Emmy said she was concerned that President Megawati
Soekarnoputri would reject the screened candidates, and if she
did not, the House of Representatives might have some ulterior,
political motives.
"Even during the ongoing process we should be careful, because
there are many bureaucrats in the selection team," she said.
Emmy said political intervention was evident in the process of
establishing the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas
HAM), anti-money laundering watchdog Financial Transaction and
Report Analysis Center (PPATK) and the Public Servant's Wealth
Audit Commission (KPKPN).
"That's why this time we will ensure the transparency of the
screening process, and the press has the biggest role in
monitoring this," Emmy said.
Meanwhile, Partnership for Governance Reform executive
director H.S. Dillon said it was hard to determine who would
advance to the top ten at the moment, because the candidates
still had to pass at least two screening stages based on their
vision and mission in eradicating corruption and their in-depth
interviews with the commission.
Dillon said his organization, which has been a technical
consultant to the screening committee, supported the process in
that it was a first step in promoting good governance.
"If there was any indication of forcing any vested interests,
the partnership will withdraw from the entire process," he said,
and that he would not put the partnership's integrity at stake.
Meanwhile, deputy secretary-general Haedar Nashir of
Muhammadiyah, which had initiated a national anticorruption
movement with the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul
Ulama, said he was optimistic about the screening process so far.
"We have hope," he said, but added that even if the best
people headed the commission, its effectiveness would still
depend on the performance of law enforcement and the judiciary.
"If these institutions are not responsive, the commission
would hit a brick wall."
Haedar said the effectiveness of the anticorruption effort
would be evaluated in its ability and will in eradicating
corruption in the bureaucracy, which is notorious as the den of
corrupters.