Dai's future in legislators' hands

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A joint team, comprising members of Commission I and Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR), will commence discussions on Friday regarding the nomination of Comr. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar as the new National Police chief.

"The team will commence its work after Friday's prayer session," House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said after presiding over a meeting of the Deliberation Body (Bamus) here on Thursday.

The result of the assessment will be announced to the public during a plenary session on Nov. 29.

The schedule was unveiled when a group of people from Bondowoso, East Java, urged the DPR to reject the nomination of Da'i, alleging that he had a poor track record.

The group demanded that a legal process be carried out on Da'i for his suspected involvement in the fatal shooting of five protesters in Bondowoso in September last year.

Besides claiming the five lives, six people were injured when police officers opened fire on people protesting in front of the police office. Da'i was East Java Police chief at the time.

The delegation, which included family members of victims of the shooting, called for legal and moral accountability for both Da'i and former Bondowoso Police chief Supt. Marwoto Soeto, who had ordered the shooting.

"We strongly reject the nomination of Comr. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar to become chief of the National Police until he presents his accountability in relation to that incident," said Jumali, one of the protesters.

Responding to the demand, a member of Commission II, Sutanto, vowed that his commission would immediately send a request to National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro to continue the legal process.

"We will also have a working meeting with the police chief on Dec. 1," Sutanto said.