Kunarto favored to chair audit body

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency Kunarto looks set to fill the top position of the body left vacant by J.B. Sumarlin since December last year.

Kunarto, a retired police general and former chief of the National Police, was named one of the three candidates for the chairmanship of the audit agency announced by the House of Representatives yesterday.

Deputy House Speaker Abdul Gafur said after a meeting to select the three candidates that leaders of the four factions also unanimously supported the nomination of Rifai Siata and Bambang Wahyudi.

Gafur said the 500 members of the House of Representatives would convene next Wednesday to approve the candidates before presenting them to President Soeharto. The head of state elects the audit body chief, according to law.

Rifai is one of the five incumbent members of the audit body, while outsider Bambang is an economics lecturer at the Bandung- based Padjajaran University and currently represents dominant political group Golkar in the People's Consultative Assembly.

On paper, former National Police chief Kunarto, who was sworn in as the body's deputy chairman to replace Marathon Wirija Mihardja in 1993, has the greatest chance to take the top post. Gafur refused to speculate.

"The three are experienced people who fit the bill. Everything will now depend on the President," Gafur said.

He described the selection as "a democratic deliberation to reach mutual understanding among the factions".

He said during the meeting the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) factions nominated Mukhrom As'ad and Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad respectively for the agency's chief.

"The two factions finally dropped their bids and gracefully accepted the three candidates," Gafur said.

"It will be a big problem if we nominate Pak Mar'ie because he is still in the cabinet," he added.

It was the second time that PPP's nomination of Mukhrom was turned down. But Gafur consoled the Moslem-based faction, saying that it could still campaign for a membership seat in the body.

Sumarlin ended his service at the audit agency on Dec. 10 as he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65. The agency will be chaired collectively by its members until a new chairman is elected.

Former minister of finance Sumarlin was elected the chairman of the body, replacing Gen (ret) M. Yusuf. (amd)