Anwar to lead BPK in 2004-2009
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Anwar Nasution, former deputy senior governor of the central bank, has been named chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) -- a state body overseeing the use of state funds in the budget and state institutions by both the central and local governments.
A decree on Anwar's appointment has been signed by outgoing President Megawati Soekarnoputri, State/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo confirmed on Tuesday.
"It was under Presidential Decree No. 185M dated today," Bambang told reporters.
The signing of the decree, although made on her last day in office, should end months of confusion since the House of Representatives had submitted the names of candidates for both the chairmanship and membership of the body in June.
BPK Law No. 5/1973 stipulates that BPK members are proposed by the House before being selected by the president. In June, the House sent in the list of a total of 21 names -- which included former president of state oil and gas firm Pertamina Baihaki Hakim -- to fill seven positions in the agency.
BPK's structure consists of a chairman, a deputy chairman and five members for which the House picked three candidates for each position.
Anwar would replace Satrio B. Judono as BPK chairman for the next five years -- whose term actually expired late last year.
Bambang added that senior legislator Abdullah Zainie, the former head of the House state budget committee, had been selected as deputy chairman of the agency.
"As for the five members, the president has appointed Imran, Baharudin Aritonang, Hasan Bisri, Udju Juhaeri and I Gusti Agung Rai," said Bambang.
The selection process itself has drawn a fair share of criticism, including from the existing members of BPK who claimed that the process violated the Constitution as it did not seek consent from the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) -- which would only operate from the next government on.
The House however, insisted that the process was not illegal in any way, referring to the addendum to the amended Constitution which stipulates that all decisions must refer to the existing law until a new law to replace the old one is enacted.
BPK's role is critical in the drive to help root out rampant corruption in the country. But the agency has often complained that many of its findings had largely been ignored by law makers and the government.
BPK reported in September that it had found indications of corruption amounting to Rp 166.5 trillion (about US$18 billion) in the use of state funds over the past several years. The agency has also listed the Attorney General's Office as among of the top abusers of state funds.
Anwar is an outspoken economist who had previously described the central bank as a den of thieves, before assuming a top post at Bank Indonesia.