KPK candidates to face test of integrity
KPK candidates to face test of integrity
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As many as 40 aspirants for the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK) executive body are slated to compete to pass the profile
assessment test on Saturday, which is part of a series of
examinations to net five people to lead the body.
Only half of the candidates will make the grade to vie for the
last test, an interview that will be open to the public on Dec.
4.
The third test is important because it supposedly screens the
integrity and the capability of the candidates to combat
corruption, a widespread occurrence across the country.
Two independent companies -- PT Dunamis Inter Master and PT
Daya Dimensi Indonesia -- have been assigned to conduct the test.
The companies have earlier conducted a similar test for the
latest recruitment of state prosecutors, which was also assisted
by the non-governmental organization Partnership for Government
Reform.
The companies conduct written and oral tests for the
candidates. They are expected to rank the candidates based on the
aspirants' merit during the tests.
However, the outcome of the test is only a recommendation for
the KPK selection committee, which has the authority either to
accept or ignore the test results.
Asep Rahmat Fajar, the coordinator of the Coalition of
Judiciary Observers, warned that the selection committee must use
the test results to screen the candidates.
"Otherwise the test would be useless because the committee may
choose a candidate who has a questionable performance," he said
on Friday.
Asep pointed to the fact that the committee had ignored the
investigative report by the coalition about the track records of
the candidates.
Several candidates with questionable track records combating
corruption are among the 40 to undergo the third test on
Saturday.
The selection committee, Asep said, must be transparent and
fair in revealing the test results to the public.
"The KPK is a super body. The committee is responsible to
select candidates with integrity, if the country is serious to
phase out corruption practices here," he said.
According to law No. 30/2001 on the Corruption Eradication
Commission, the KPK executive board must be inaugurated by the
president by Dec. 27.
The KPK has the authority to investigate corruption cases and
prosecute alleged corrupters, powers that are currently the
privilege of police and prosecutors.
The KPK, whose establishment has been postponed several times
since 1999, is also granted with powers to take over the
investigation of corruption cases by police and state
prosecutors.
Many expected that the KPK would be able to boost the
country's drive against rampant corruption practices.
No significant achievement has been made since the country
declared war against corruption at the beginning of the reform
movement in 1997.
Indonesia has been ranked recently by he World Economic Forum
(WEF) at number 60 out of a total 102 countries surveyed in terms
of business competitiveness.
According to the forum, rampant corruption and ineffective
bureaucracy are the two most important factors behind the
country's low ranking.
A survey by Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) has
put Indonesia as the sixth most corrupt country in the world with
a Corruption Perception Index of 1.9, with the highest or
cleanest score being 10.
Last year Indonesia ranked fourth among 122 countries surveyed
with a corruption index of 1.9.
The seemingly hopeless effort to combat corruption has
resulted in the recent move by two largest Muslim organizations
in the country, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah
respectively, to start a moral movement against corruption.