PDI-P rejects all seven chief justice candidates

PDI-P rejects all seven chief justice candidates

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) has turned down all seven chief justice candidates
proposed by the House of Representatives, saying they fail to
live up to people's expectations.

The party's deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung said the
decision was taken during a weekly executive meeting presided
over by chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri on Tuesday.

"If the House cannot name alternative candidates, the party's
board of executives will ask their representatives in the House
to abstain from voting for the chief justice," Pramono said.

But the party fell short of proposing alternative candidates.

"We admit that it is very difficult to find someone who meets
all the criteria but we believe there must be another person who
would be more fitting for the post," Pramono said.

The House has named former judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga,
former justice minister Muladi, lawyer Artidjo Alkostar, law
professor Bagir Manan, and supreme court justices Usman Karim,
Soeharto and Toton Suprapto as candidates for chief justice.

The House will then vote for two candidates for the President
to select a chief justice. The public is currently appraising the
seven candidates.

Pramono said a screening of the seven candidates revealed that
the nominees "were not clean, honest or credible and were part of
the old regime."

"The next chief justice should be one who can shoulder the
consequences of being 'supreme'. The candidate must also have a
good track record," Pramono said.

Separately, Muladi reiterated his preparedness to take on the
Supreme Court top post while denying reports that he was
nominated by the Golkar party,

"We should not differentiate candidates based on their
political affiliation. Besides, who said that I have been
nominated by Golkar?" he said on the sidelines of a seminar
conducted by the Habibie Center on Tuesday.

According to Muladi, a chief justice should be elected because
of his or her competence and not the backing of a political
party.

Golkar has announced it would vote for Muladi during the
selection of chief justice.

The race for the top position at the Supreme Court began after
chief justice Sarwata reached the mandatory retirement age of 65
in August. His place is temporarily being filled by Deputy
Justice Th. Ketut Sura Putra.

Bagir top

A non-governmental organization, the Indonesian Institute for
Independent Judiciary (LeIP), unveiled the results of a recent
survey which put Bagir, a professor at the Bandung-based
Padjadjaran University, ahead of the other six candidates.

Rifqi Sjarief Assegaf, LeIp's executive secretary, told a
hearing with the House Commission II for domestic and legal
affairs on Tuesday, the survey could help the House select a
candidate who lived up to people's expectations.

He said the study, conducted with the help of some
universities, focused on the candidates' personal integrity,
performance and statements which appeared in mass media.

Among the reasons for the respondents' choice of Bagir were
his "democratic, open, honest and firm style, and his willingness
to listen to his subordinates."

Bagir is also known for his integrity, for example, he had
rejected an application for notary public made by a son-in-law of
Muladi, who was then the minister of justice. (01/02)