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)