Kardaya awaits President's approval

Kardaya awaits President's approval

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives endorsement of Kardaya Warnika as
the new Oil and Gas Upstream Regulatory Agency (BP Migas)
chairman still requires President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's
approval before he can take up his post as head of one of
Indonesia's most powerful state agencies.

The BP Migas deputy chairman was unanimously approved by the
House's Commission VII on Mining and Environment Affairs after
undergoing a two-hour selection hearing on Monday.

"We saw quality in Kardaya, especially in his commitment to
put forward the country's interests in leading the agency,"
Commission VII chairman Agusman Effendi of the Golkar Party told
The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. The commission's decision itself was
taken late Monday.

Agusman said that all 50 members of the commission attending
the hearing shared a similar opinion and agreed to name him for
the post.

"We considered that he had the agenda and vision to develop
the state agency even further from what it is now," he added.

Kardaya himself declined to give a statement on the House's
endorsement, saying that the official decision remains in
Susilo's hands.

"I can't say anything now. It (the selection) is not over yet.
We are still waiting for the President's approval," he told the
Post.

The House has already sent its recommendation to the
President's office for Kardaya's appointment to be agreed to.

Legislators considered Kardaya as the most appropriate
candidate, with the other candidates being Ministry of Energy and
Mineral Resources' Director General of Oil and Gas, Iin Arifin
Takhyan, and BP Migas operations director Trijana Kartoatmodjo.

"The three candidates were good and very knowledgeable in
their field but we all agreed that he has the competence to lead
the agency," Agusman remarked.

If the President officially approves the House's
recommendation, Kardaya will replace Rachmat Sudibyo, who reached
retirement age mid last year.

The selection had been delayed until early this year due to
last year's general elections.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources had submitted the
three candidates names to the President, which were then
forwarded to the House.

BP Migas chairman is one of Indonesia's top bureaucratic
positions, and one of the most well-paid.

The BP Migas chairman receives around Rp 120 million
(US$13,100) per month in salary, more than twice that of the
President who only receives Rp 50 million.