House proposes 20 names for vacant justice posts

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives in its plenary meeting yesterday proposed 20 candidates for the ten vacant justice posts at the Supreme Court.

The posts have been vacant since eight justices retired last year, and two of the Supreme Court deputy chief justices were elected leaders of the institution last month.

Former deputy chief justice for military tribunal Sarwata and former deputy chief justice of the state administrative court Th. Ketut Suraputra were appointed Chief Justice and Vice Chief Justice respectively. They replaced Soerjono and M. Djaelani.

The list of candidates drawn up by the House for submission to President Soeharto includes the current secretary general of the Supreme Court, Mangatas Nasution.

The other candidates are Abdul Kadir Roeslan, Achmad Kowi AS, Achmad Tayibu, Darwin Lubis, Djufri Ramli, Emin Aminah Achdiat, H.P. Pangabean, I Nengah Wedastra, Marnis Kahar, M. Saleh Rasyid, Parman Suparman, Pranowo, R. Sunu Wahadi, Soekirno, Soenardi Padang, Sudarno, Suwawi, Syamsuhadi, and Zainal Abidin Abubakar.

Shortly after the plenary meeting, legislator Handjojo Putro - who was involved in drawing up the list -- expressed hopes that the President would select the best candidates.

"May all those appointed later be those who are really professional and mentally-prepared for the challenging post," he said.

He said all the candidates were career-judges, "though some of them have not been practicing judges for some time."

Also at the plenary meeting, the government filed nine bills to the House for deliberation. The newly-submitted bills include one on statistics, which some people say is anti-science because its intention is to make the Central Bureau of Statistics the sole agency authorized to approve research proposals in the country.

"I hope the House will be able to finish deliberating those bills before the day of the election campaign begins," Deputy House Speaker Soetedjo, who presided at yesterday's plenary meeting, said jokingly.

Indonesia has scheduled next May 29 as the general election day. (O8)