Doubt lingers over selection as Komnas ends screening

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.