Chief justice Muladi?

Is Mr. Muladi for real? His petulant ultimatum demeans the House of Representatives (DPR). It is hard to fathom the rationale for including former justice minister Muladi's name on the list of possible Supreme Courts justices in the first place, let alone giving him even a moment's consideration for the position of chief justice if, as the DPR committee has said, professional credibility (as opposed to mere reputation) is a priority.

As many Indonesians and most foreign residents could confirm, corruption was rampant in Mr. Muladi's ministry of justice, for example in the Directorate General of Immigration. Does Muladi expect people to believe that none of the illegal levies reached him? Even after the downfall of president Soeharto, when Mr. Muladi had less of an excuse for timidity, he failed to act decisively in handling corrupt subordinates. Then there was the infamous trip to Switzerland in June 1999 with the still at-large former attorney general Andi Ghalib.

As justice minister, Mr. Muladi showed almost no courage in prosecuting corruption and human rights abuses. This, not his sexual conduct, is the operative fact coloring his candidacy for the Supreme Court. For a different position, questionable professional integrity might be less crucial. But the country cannot afford to squander the new Supreme Court's credibility by rewarding the good soldiers of yesteryear with prestigious high- paid jobs they neither need nor deserve, for old time's sake.

DONNA K. WOODWARD

Medan, North Sumatra