Government 'returns the ball' to the House on chief justice post
Government 'returns the ball' to the House on chief justice post
JAKARTA (JP): The government has "returned the ball" to the
House of Representatives (DPR), asking the legislative body to
take the initiative to settle the prolonged dispute over the
appointment of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa on
Thursday asked the House to find the best solution to the matter.
"I think it's up to the House to decide what to do. As the two
candidates, whose names have been submitted to the President for
endorsement, were selected by the House, so this problem should
be settled by the House, too," Lopa told journalists before a
hearing with House Commission II on legal and home affairs.
Lopa said the final process following the withdrawal of Muladi
as candidate for the position of supreme court chief should be
decided by the House and not by the government.
"This is the responsibility of the House. I heard that he
(Muladi) had mentioned his withdrawal to the House," he said.
Muladi, whose candidacy is widely regarded as having been
sponsored by Golkar, decided to withdraw after two months of
uncertainty and will officially notify the President after the
latter returns from his overseas trip early next month.
Abdurrahman has refused to appoint either one of the House of
Representatives' nominees -- Muladi and Bagir Manan -- as the new
chief justice.
The controversy over the appointment of the Supreme Court
chief began when the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) faction walked out of the House plenary session which
confirmed Muladi and Bagir's candidacies on Dec. 7, 2000.
Bagir has hinted that he would not withdraw his candidacy, but
Abdurrahman has already rejected both Muladi and Bagir due to
their past links with the New Order regime and for being
partisan.
Muladi served as justice minister in the last cabinet of
former president Soeharto, then remained in the post under
Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie.
Bagir Manan, a professor of law in Padjadjaran University in
Bandung, West Java, also served under Soeharto as the director
general of the justice ministry in the 1990s.
Lopa suggested that Muladi should give his formal notification
of withdrawal as soon as possible so the House can decide what to
do over the matter.
Zain Badjeber, a United Development Party (PPP) legislator
from the House Commission II, however, rejected the proposal,
saying that the House had completed its tasks and it would now be
the president's decision to appoint one of the two existing
candidates. (dja)