House seeks solution to chief justice snag

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withdrawn my nomination.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)