Golkar Party yet to react to Muladi's statement

Golkar Party yet to react to Muladi's statement

JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party has yet to officially react to
reports of Muladi's statement that he is withdrawing from his
controversial nomination as Supreme Court chief justice.

The party's deputy treasurer Enggartiasto Lukita said that
Muladi's statement was likely to be personal in nature and that
the party has yet to discuss or hold a meeting over the matter.

"It was a personal statement from Muladi and the central
executive board has yet to hold a meeting. During the last
central executive board meeting on Friday, we didn't discuss the
issue," Enggartiasto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Reports began to breakout on Sunday morning that Muladi had
decided to withdraw his candidacy after two months of uncertainty
and would officially present his letter of resignation after the
President returns from his next overseas trip.

Muladi's candidacy is widely regarded as being sponsored by
Golkar.

President Abdurrahman Wahid has refused to appoint either one
of the House of Representative's nominees -- Muladi and Bagir
Manan -- as Supreme Court chief justice.

Abdurrahman will leave for the haj pilgrimage on Feb. 22 and
is due to return home on March 7.

The crisis over the Supreme Court chief justice rose to the
fore when the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) faction walked out of a House plenary session to
confirm Muladi's and Bagir's candidacy.

Abdurrahman then rejected the two candidates saying that both
candidates were known to be loyal to the New Order regime and to
be partisan.

Muladi served as justice minister in the last cabinet of
former president Soeharto, then stayed in the post under
Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie.

Bagir Manan, a law professor at the state Padjadjaran
University in Bandung, West Java, also served under Soeharto as a
director general of the justice ministry in the 1990s.

"Maybe Muladi stated his intention to the party's chairman or
one of the deputy chairman. However, the executive board never
discussed this and we are sticking with the decision of the House
of Representatives to nominate him," Enggartiasto remarked.(dja)