Minister Lopa vows to instill sense of justice

JAKARTA (JP): Newly sworn Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa vowed on Friday to instill a sense of justice in all matters related to his office, include the country's courts.

Lopa told reporters after taking his oath before President Abdurrahman Wahid that his main concern was not just to settle court cases, but also to create a conducive atmosphere so that the courts could produce verdicts that reflect justice.

"That's why the President asked me to cooperate with the Supreme Court," he said.

Prior to his appointment, Lopa, 65, was the Indonesian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He replaces Yusril Ihza Mahendra, chairman of the Crescent Star Party.

Lopa, a former provincial chief prosecutor who also held the position of director general of correctional institutions, is a member of the board of experts of the United Development Party (PPP).

He said the party chairman, Hamzah Haz, approved his appointment as a Cabinet minister.

PPP secretary-general, Alimarwan Hanan, however, was upset by Lopa's decision to join Gus Dur's administration, saying that he had not consulted the party.

"He accepted the (ministerial) post without consulting first (with the party). To us, a cadre joining the present Cabinet is more of a challenge and an ordeal than a gift," Hanan told Antara.

He said the PPP had been discussing the possibility of withdrawing it sole representative in the Cabinet, State Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Zarkasih Nur, following the House of Representatives' move to issue the President a memorandum of censure to tell him he had violated state policies.

The memorandum was a follow-up to a report made by a House special committee which concluded that President Wahid was involved in the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and Brunei financial scandals.

Alimarwan noted that after the issuance of the memorandum, his party called for the immediate holding of a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly to seek accountability from the President.

He said they would bring up Lopa's appointment as justice and human rights minister at the party's plenary meeting, where members would decide on the steps needed to be taken by the party.

During the installment of Lopa, the President underlined that Lopa would be answerable only to him.

"Pak Baharuddin Lopa will only be answerable to the President, not to anyone else," he said.

He also reminded the new minister to continue reforms in the country's judicial system.

Lopa's oath-taking ceremony was led by Coordinating Minister for Social, Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri was unable to attend because she was leading the commemoration of National Press Day in Surakarta, Central Java.

Present at the ceremony were head of the Supreme Advisory Council Achmad Tirtosudiro, deputy speakers of the House of Representatives Sutardjo Soerjogoeritno and Muhaimin Iskandar, Indonesian Military Commander Adm. Widodo AS and the outgoing justice and human rights minister, Yusril.

The President fired Yusril on Wednesday on the grounds that other Cabinet members could not work with him.