Nur Mahmudi defies protest, inducts Soeripto
Nur Mahmudi defies protest, inducts Soeripto
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry and Plantations Nur Mahmudi
Ismail has inducted Soeripto as the ministry's secretary-general
to replace Roedjai Djakaria, despite oppositions from people
inside the office.
Following Soeripto's induction on Friday, the Indonesian
Development Supervision Institute, which groups people against
Soeripto, threatened to sue the government over his appointment,
arguing that his induction was against prevailing regulations.
Mahmudi defied the threats and officially inducted Soeripto in
a brief ceremony at the ministry office.
He said Soeripto's appointment was a normal procedure in
empowering his office.
"Later, there will be more changes in our ministry," he said
without giving details.
Soeripto, 64, a former military and intelligence official, was
appointed as secretary-general on Dec. 18 through a presidential
decree.
The decision triggered widespread protests in the ministry
because, according to those disagreed with the decision, it
breached regulations: Soeripto was older than the maximum age
allowed to fill in that position and he was not a career official
from the ministry.
Mahmudi said on Thursday that Soeripto's appointment was
reached after prior consultation with the state secretariat and
President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was already aware of the
problem.
Abdurrahman had said earlier that he knew demonstrations
against Soeripto at the forestry ministry were funded by certain
parties at the ministry and, therefore, he would not cancel
Soeripto's appointment based on the demonstrations.
The chairman of the development supervision institute, A.
Hamid Rahayaan said his party was concerned with Soeripto's
appointment and, therefore, it would soon file a lawsuit against
President Abdurrahman Wahid and Nur Mahmudi.
"We will file our suit with the court either on Wednesday or
Thursday next week," said A. Hamid Rahayaan, as quoted by
detik.com.
He also said earlier that the appointment of Soeripto was not
acceptable because he was from Mahmudi's Justice Party.
But Soeripto flatly rejected the accusation and said: "I'm not
a Justice Party man, nor one of its founders."
Soeripto vowed that he would not back off because of repeated
demonstrations by civil servants at the ministry against his
appointment.
Instead, he would go ahead with his plan to combat corruption,
collusion and nepotism (KKN) practices rampant at the ministry.
He said he understood that he was entering a jungle of KKN
problems at the ministry.
He said the challenges he would face in performing his duties
would be prevailing "New Order's values" in the existing legal
apparatus, which could obstruct legal proceedings against
government officials involved in KKN practices.
Soeripto said that if he meets difficulties in bringing those
responsible for past wrongdoings to trial using the existing law,
he would use an "alternative trial" through a political process
at the House of Representatives to resolve the problem.
But first of all, he said, he would submit all KKN cases to
the Attorney General's Office. But if there were no follow-up
measures, he would submit the data to House members to follow up.
"I will take unsolvable ministerial KKN cases to a people's
trial," he said, referring to the House.
To help his work, he said, he would set up information posts
to gather information from communities, non-governmental
organizations, timber companies and the media.
He promised to follow up on all complaints from communities
regarding forest management. (06)