House told to pick nine supreme justice candidates
House told to pick nine supreme justice candidates
JAKARTA (JP): A group of nongovernmental organizations
suggested the House of Representatives on Thursday pick nine out
of around 40 supreme justice candidates now under its close
watch.
Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)
Bambang Widjojanto told the House commission III for legal and
domestic affairs the nine supreme justice hopefuls deserve the
posts due to their moral integrity, legal expertise and political
independency.
"After assessing the candidates, we recommend that only nine
of them fit the bill for supreme justice seats," Bambang,
spokesman for the NGOs, said.
The organizations, which included the Indonesian Advocate
Association (Ikadin), Independent Journalist Association (AJI),
Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and the National Committee for
Legal Reform (KRHN); listed Abdurrahman Saleh, Artidjo Alkostar,
Bagir Manan, Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, Ben Suhanda Syah, Erna
Sofwan Sukri, Rifyal Ka'bah, Syamsulhadi and Valerina Klerkoff as
the appropriate candidates.
Around 40 people have been nominated by the Supreme Court, the
government and the House to fill the shoes of 12 retiring supreme
justices.
Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, President Abdurrahman Wahid's
preference for the chief justice post, topped the government
list. Golkar, meanwhile, campaigned for former justice minister
and state minister/secretary Muladi.
Bambang said the joint groups rejected candidates proposed by
political parties to avoid conflict of interests. Legislators
have also been sidelined from the list out of fear of their
political objectives.
The House's Commission I chairman Amin Aryoso and his deputy
chairman Hartono Mardjono were reportedly nominated by the
Indonesian Advocate Union (IAI). Amin confirmed his nomination on
Thursday but said he had rejected it.
"I prefer to be a House member," he said.
The group's refusal to support the nominations of political
parties prompted "protests" from legislators.
"We political parties have the right to nominate candidates
for supreme justices. We should see candidates from their
credibility," Ali Marwan Hanan from the United Development Party
(PPP) said.
He said that political parties proposed candidates upon the
request of their constituencies and the public.
Firman Tjahyadi from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction urged the working group not to
reject nominations from political parties.
"We are also just a door which is open to the public. We also
select candidates from the public," Firman said.
Separately, the People's Consultative Assembly's 10 factions
deliberating constitutional amendments suggested that the
constitution clearly define an independent Supreme Court.
"The court should be free from any intervention and
responsible to the Assembly," deputy chairman of the Assembly's
ad hoc committee on constitutional amendment, Slamet Effendy
Yusuf, said.
He said all factions agreed to propose that supreme justices
and the chief justice be elected by the Assembly, instead of the
House legislators. (jun)