House drops two candidates for Supreme Court
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives has dropped Usman Karim and Valerine J.L. Kierkhoff from the list of candidates for chief justice and deputy chief justice, respectively, over an administrative technicality, an official said on Saturday.
Amin Aryoso, chairman of House Commission II for legal and home affairs, told the media that the House would examine only six candidates for chief justice and six others for deputy chief justice.
"Both Usman Karim and Valerine J.L. Kierkhoff have failed to meet the deadline to submit related documents to the commission," he said after the commission conducted the first phase of fit-and-proper tests for the candidates.
The remaining six candidates for chief justice are Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, Muladi, Artidjo Alkostar, Bagir Manan, Soeharto and Toton Suprapto, while the six candidates for deputy chief justice are Abdul Kadir Mappong, Abdurrahman Saleh, Edith Dumasi Tobing Nababan, Marianna Sutadi, Parman Suparman and Taufik.
Amin, however, declined to reveal the results of the commission's initial evaluations of the 12 candidates, saying the evaluations were an inseparable part of the final fit-and-proper tests scheduled for Nov. 29.
He said that during the initial full day of evaluations, which were closed to the public, the commission clarified the administrative requirements and all the input on the candidates the commission received from the public.
"Clarification is conducted to evaluate the candidates' professionalism and integrity," he said, adding that the evaluations were conducted in a closed-door meeting to maintain the privacy of candidates.
Reliable sources at the commission told The Jakarta Post that the fit-and-proper tests were only lip service as all factions, excluding the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, had their favorite candidates.
"Every faction member could raise whatever questions they wanted and candidates could answer, but the factions have their own favorites," said a source.
Pramono Anung Wibowo, PDI Perjuangan's deputy secretary- general, said the party's faction at the House supported none of the candidates and would abstain in any vote taken for selection of the candidates.
"Benjamin Mangkoedilaga has no capability for the top position at the Supreme Court while Muladi was part of the New Order regime," he said.
He said his faction at the House would abstain because the House's internal rules did not allow it to nominate its own candidate.
Pramono said Muladi was expected to pass the fit-and-proper test because he had probably won support from the Golkar faction and Muslim minority parties known as the "axis force".
Amin confirmed that he and other PDI Perjuangan legislators in the commission would be consistent with their faction's policy. Amin chairs the commission appointed to select the candidates.
Satisfaction
Meanwhile, candidates said they were satisfied with the way they had been treated in their tests.
Artidjo said the commission members had been friendly when asking questions and that he could answer all questions directed at him.
Muladi concurred and acknowledged he had not paid his taxes for two years when he was the justice minister and acting state secretary in former president B.J. Habibie's last Cabinet.
"I had no intention of evading paying my taxes. It is because of my recklessness due to accumulated tasks. But they have been paid," he said.
Asked to comment on public objections to his candidacy, Muladi said: "It is normal in a democracy."
The House will select two candidates and let the President choose one of them for the Supreme Court top job, which has been left vacant by Sarwata in August.
The new chief justice is expected to mend the battered judicial system, to some extent due to rampant corruption. A team formed by the Attorney General to investigate corruption named in August three justices of the Supreme Court as suspects in a bribery case. (rms)