Legal Aid Foundation custodians defend election
Legal Aid Foundation custodians defend election
JAKARTA (JP): The custodians of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) yesterday defended their decision to appoint Bambang Widjojanto as the executive chairman, despite accusations that the election was "undemocratic".
Bambang's election is final, Adnan Buyung Nasution, a member of YLBHI's Board of Trustees, told a media conference at the foundation's head office.
"The board of trustees is the highest authority in a foundation. People must abide by its decisions," Buyung said.
Buyung said foundation status is still the most appropriate for an organization like YLBHI to help it survive the current political climate in Indonesia.
The board is under pressure to hold another election from many of the foundation's senior staff and leaders in its regional offices. The critics argue that the decision on YLBHI's leadership is too important to be left to the trustees alone.
Some of those critics have since formed a federation which they say is intended to save the YLBHI from disintegration. They said the federation will conduct the foundation's day-to-day activities pending a new election.
Present at the media conference yesterday were Board of Trustees chairman Harjono Tjitrosoebeno, secretary Aswab Mahasin, member Ali Sadikin and election committee members Todung Mulya Lubis and Tuti Heraty Noerhadi Roosseno.
As the briefing took place, some of the dissenters were working in their offices on the same premises, some occasionally passing the briefing room to eavesdrop.
Bambang Widjojanto, a lawyer with plenty of experience in handling controversial political cases, won seven of the 16 votes in the election by the board of trustees on Feb. 29. He replaced Buyung who resigned from the post last October.
Bambang has been given until Monday to announce the line up of his executive board.
Harjono said that the federation formed by the dissenters runs counter to YLBHI's statutes. "We do not recognize a federation in our organization," he said.
The federation includes six figures who ran for the post -- Mulyana W. Kusumah, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, Amartiwi Saleh, H.J.C. Princen, Hendardi and Rambun Tjayo -- and representatives of six regional offices in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Bandar Lampung and Ujungpandang.
Buyung disclosed that he had listed Bambang as his third choice for successor after Frans Hendra Winarta and the duet of Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan and Mulyana W. Kusumah. But when their names were proposed to the regional offices, most opted for Bambang.
"Bambang is the right person for the post despite his low key appearance. He has a balanced judgment on every problem, has a solid network with other NGOs, he is not an emotional person and most importantly, he is still young," he said. (imn)
Editorial -- Page 4