House seeks solution to chief justice snag

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representative Commission II on legal and home affairs was charged with finding a solution to the deadlock over the chief justice candidacy on Wednesday, following Muladi's withdrawal of his nomination.

"We assigned Commission II to discuss the withdrawal of Muladi. If the House approves, then he may terminate the candidacy," House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said here after a meeting with House deputy speakers.

Akbar, however, indicated that for the time being the House will remain resolute in its decision to nominate both Muladi and Bagir Manan as chief justice candidates and will send another letter to the President urging him to select one of the two.

"We will send another letter to the President asking for an explanation as to why he rejected the candidates when the law obligates him to choose one of the two," he remarked.

"We will not present a time limit for the President to decide within, but we underline that the Supreme Court needs a chief justice very soon," Akbar added.

Muladi, widely regarded as having being sponsored by the Golkar Party, decided to withdraw his candidacy following two months of uncertainty and will officially notify the President of his withdrawal after the latter returns from an overseas trip next week.

Muladi officially submitted his resignation letter to the House speaker on Wednesday, explaining that the prolonged election of the chief justice would only damage the performance of the Supreme Court. He urged the House to find a solution to the problem.

"I have asked the House to allow me to withdraw my nomination," Muladi told journalists after meeting with Akbar.

President Abdurrahman Wahid has refused to appoint either Muladi or Bagir Manan as chief justice, citing that both 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, remaining in the post under Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie.

Bagir Manan, a professor of law at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, also served under Soeharto as director general of the justice ministry in the 1990s.

Separately, Bagir Manan said that he has no reason to withdraw from the candidacy because it was the House that nominated him and therefore the House should be the one to withdraw the selection.

"It was the House that nominated me and they have not withdrawn my nomination. What is my reason for quitting the candidacy?" Bagir said on the sidelines of a seminar here on Wednesday.(dja)