New police chief to be chosen

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed on Wednesday a proposal containing the names of candidates for the position of National Police chief, before the government submitted the names to the House of Representatives for it to select one of them.

State/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo said on Wednesday that the proposal had been signed because incumbent National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro was due for retirement in November.

"There are several names in the proposal, but I do not remember them," Bambang told journalists at Merdeka Palace.

Bambang said that the government had no intention of extending the contract of the current National Police chief, so the proposed names would be processed as soon as possible. --JP