House backs Sutanto as police chief
House backs Sutanto as police chief
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Barring unforeseen obstacles, Comr. Gen. Sutanto will take over
from Gen. Da'i Bachtiar as the National Police chief in the
coming few weeks.
Major factions in the House of Representatives, including
self-styled opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), have thrown their weight behind President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's choice of Sutanto.
House Speaker Agung Laksono, who is also the Golkar Party
deputy leader, said the legislature would complete its
deliberations on Sutanto's nomination before recess on July 8.
"The House has urged the President to replace the National
Police chief following the recent series of bombings," Agung
said.
Susilo ordered Da'i to arrest fugitive Malaysian bomb experts
Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Moh. Top in the first 100 days of
his term as President. The two terror suspects have been accused
of being responsible for a string of bomb attacks in the country
since the 2002 Bali blasts that left 202 people dead.
House security commission chairman Akil Mochtar said Sutanto
would fit the bill for police chief due to his clean track
record. The commission would interview him before endorsing his
nomination.
Sutanto is the sole candidate for the job.
Separately, House PDI-P faction leader Tjahjo Kumolo said his
grouping had "no problem" with Sutanto's appointment.
"He's the right man and his track record is quite good,"
Tjahjo said.
He said he expected the next police chief to continue the
reforms within the police so as to help the force increase its
independence and professionalism.
Susilo said that the need for regeneration of the police
leadership was behind his nomination of Sutanto, who was only
appointed the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chief and promoted
to the rank of commissioner general less than six months ago.
Both Sutanto and Susilo were named the best graduates in their
respective forces in 1973.
"The replacement is aimed at rejuvenating the police
leadership. Pak Da'i has been in office for nearly four years.
Obviously, he has given enough service to the nation and the
country," Susilo told the press.
Sutanto, 53, is one year younger than Da'i, who also led the
BNN before former president Megawati Soekarnoputri appointed him
police chief in 2001.
Like Da'i, Sutanto is the sole candidate for the police's top
post.
But Akil played down the fact that only one name had been
proposed to the House, which could be considered as presenting a
fait-accompli to the national legislature.
"It's better to have only one nomination as a number of
nominations could spark conflict within Commission III, which has
to interview the candidates," Akil said.
The House has 20 days to respond to the nomination after
receiving the presidential nomination, unless the President
bypasses the process.
The Police Law enacted in 2002 extends the retirement age of
police generals from 55 to 58. It remains unclear what position
Da'i will assume after being replaced, but rumors have been
circulating that he will be awarded a compensatory ambassadorial
post.
Sutanto had been touted as Da'i's replacement ever since
Susilo won the presidency. Sutanto was known for his crackdowns
on gambling while chief of the North Sumatra Police and East Java
Police respectively.
Da'i said that he had been told he would be replaced by the
President on Sunday night.
"It is the President's prerogative to dismiss the police chief
and pick his successor. Let's just wait for the process to run
its course," Da'i said.
He added that he would prepare a manual for his successor on
what the national police had and had not done in order to help
the new police chief get to grips with his job.
Susilo had previously said a change in the leadership of the
police would coincide with a major reshuffle of the military
leadership. But Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi said the
President had yet to seek a replacement for Indonesia Military
chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto.
"No, not yet. There is no such plan thus far," Sudi said.