Mega okays new rights body team

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed a decree to formally approve the appointment of 21 new National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) members, an official said on Monday.

The decree, dated on Saturday, comes three months after the House of Representatives endorsed the candidates for the rights body following a heavily criticized screening process.

"The decree listed the 21 members of the commission in line with their selection by the House of Representatives," Deputy Cabinet Secretary Erman Radjaguguk told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

According to the law, the President has the final duty to officially appoint the rights body members through a presidential decree and inaugurate them.

The new roster of members will be the first to be selected in accordance with the law on the Commission on Human Rights passed in 2000. The current Komnas HAM members were appointed directly by the President.

The selection process of the new Komnas HAM members sparked controversy as the House claimed that the most experienced and respected human rights activists in the country -- Todung Mulya Lubis, Hendardi and Wardah Hafidz -- were not fit for the commission.

Reports said that Megawati was initially opposed the reelection of Djoko Sugianto, Koesparmono Irsan, Samsoeddin and Saafroeddin Bahar because they had served as Komnas members twice previously.

Erman, however, flatly denied the report saying that he never heard such a thing and the three-month gap between the House's endorsement and the issuance of the decree was simply a matter of priority order. He said there were a lot of decrees that had higher priorities for the president.

He added that the inauguration ceremony for the new members would take place after the President returned home from her 15- day tour of Africa and Europe. Megawati and her entourage departed on Sunday.