Doubt lingers over selection as Komnas ends screening

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has completed its efforts to find 34 member candidates despite criticism from its own members over the qualifications used in the selection process and the integrity of several names.

In the commission's plenary meeting on Friday attended by 14 of its 18 members, secretary-general Asmara Nababan raised doubts over at least five names from the list of 20 candidates that had emerged after the second selection stage.

"Some of the names were dropped in the first selection stage due to doubts over their moral integrity and credibility," he said on Friday.

Nababan refused to name the four and failed to elaborate on his objections to the other candidate, who is a staffer at the commission.

The final report completed by the first team in August revealed the four as: former state minister of the now defunct human rights affairs office Hasballah M. Saad, staff expert for the late attorney general Baharuddin Lopa, Achmad Ali, lecturer Ruswiati Suryasaputra, and lawyer Maiyasyak Johan.

The first team had selected 14 community figures. According to Law No. 39/1999 on the rights commission, which consists of 35 members, the commission should look for 17 additional members to meet the quota. Therefore, it should find at least twice the required number to be submitted to the House for a further screening process.

Nababan questioned the mechanism used by the second selection team led by colleague B.N. Marbun, but the latter brushed aside alleged irregularities in the selection process.

"This team has its own parameters. Not that we are criticizing the first team, but our process is more complete. We have confronted the public reports to them, which they convincingly denied. In life, we have to trust each other, the team doesn't have to check the facts. Moreover, even if you once committed a crime, you deserve a second chance," Marbun told a media conference after the meeting, adding that the list of the 34 would be submitted to the House within the next two weeks.

Teras Narang, chairman of Commission II overseeing the legal affairs of the House of Representatives, said that a decision on whether to implement a fit and proper test to screen the candidates would be decided in an internal meeting of the House.

"The important thing is that the members have to be impartial and have high moral integrity and understanding of human rights issues," he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

List of 34 Komnas HAM member candidates

1. Zoemrotin 2. Sri Wahyuningsih 3. Todung Mulya Lubis 4. Hendardi 5. Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara 6. Emmy Hafild 7. Wardah Hafidz 8. Mansour Faqih 9. Mohammad Farid 10. Anti Sulaiman 11. Zohra Andi Baso 12. M.M. Billah 13. Chandra Setiawan 14. Anshari Thayib 15. M. Habib Chirzin 16. Medelina K. Hendytio 17. Ruswiati Suryasaputra 18. Amidhan 19. Rudi M. Rizki 20. Salahuddin Wahid 21. Yies Sa'dyah Maksum 22. Hasballah M. Saad 23. Achmad Ali 24. Sumaryo Suryokusumo 25. Abdy S. Kusumanegara 26. Victor D. Sibarani 27. Yuwaldi 28. Taheri Noor 29. Hasto Atmojo Suroyo 30. Enny Soeprapto 31. Gunardo 32. Maiyasyak Johan 33. Masfar Safar 34. Muh. Said Nisar

Source: Komnas HAM

Note: The first 14 names emerged from the initial selection process conducted by a joint team led by legal expert Harkristuti Harkrisnowo. The rest have been selected by another team led by Komnas HAM's member B.N. Marbun.