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)