PDI-P to lodge objections to chief justice candidates

PDI-P to lodge objections to chief justice candidates

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives is set to
lodge a note of objection against Muladi and Bagir Manan whose
candidacy for the top post in the Supreme Court is expected to be
endorsed in a House plenary session on Thursday.

Heri Achmadi, secretary of the PDI Perjuangan Faction, said
his faction has decided to lodge the objection in the plenary
session as they considered the two candidates to be unsuitable
for the prestigious institution's top position.

"We have no intention of being perfect but we want model or
exemplary candidates," he said, adding that the faction's 153
members have been asked to abstain during Thursday's plenary
meeting.

The House was initially due to consider endorsing nominations
of Muladi and Bagir Manan as chief justice candidates, and Taufik
and Abdurrahman Saleh as deputy chief justice candidates on
Wednesday, however, the session was suddenly postponed for a day.

No reason was given for the adjournment.

Once two candidates are endorsed it will be up to the
President to make the final choice.

Heri maintained that based on the faction's evaluation the two
leading candidates were found to be unsuitable for the post.

"We all know that Muladi is part of the former New Order
regime and he did not set a good example in his career in
education or in government service while Bagir Manan has no
aptitude for strong leadership," Heri charged.

He maintained that his faction was not trying to influence
other factions to withdraw their support for the two candidates.

"Other factions are free to support or to oppose the
candidates," he said.

Meanwhile, House Commission II deputy chairman Ferry Mursyidan
Baldan regretted PDI Perjuangan's planned objection because its
members had not previously expressed objections during the
selection of the candidates.

"They should have expressed their objections when the
candidates qualifications were discussed in the commission. But
they did not," he replied when asked by journalists.

Ferry, a member of the Golkar Party faction, pointed out that
the commission was chaired by Amin Aryoso of PDI Perjuangan which
is the dominant party.

"None of the PDI Perjuangan members gave 'a zero' or bad
assessment to the two candidates," Ferry added.

Ferry anticipated that the objection of PDI Perjuangan would
not seriously impact the nomination process.

"The plenary session should agree with the results of
Commission II. If there is a vote, it means that all that's been
done (by the commission) is useless," he said.

Ferry suggested that the President should also strongly
consider the results of the Commission's findings, tipping Muladi
as the best of the two candidates.

"If the President chooses Bagir, we would question why he did
it. He should consider our recommendations," he added.

No problem

Meanwhile, Muladi said he had no problem with being elected to
the post or not.

Should the President appoint another candidate, the former
minister said he would "leave" the judiciary and focus on
teaching at a university.

"If President Abdurrahman Wahid does not approve me, I will
dedicate myself to being a professor at a university," Muladi,
who is still listed as a lecturer at the Semarang-based
Diponegoro University, said after speaking at a book launch at
the Mulia Hotel.

He declined to say that he would "resign" from his current
post as a justice at the Supreme Court.

Muladi said he would leave his nomination up to the election
process, which he hoped would be a democratic one. He also said
he had no link with the New Order regime as many had said.

"I'm a professional," he said.

Muladi said a regime was like a building.

"Not everyone in the building can fit into the culture of the
regime. Let's say Sarwono Kusumaatmaja, Jacob Tobing or Bagir
Manan and many others were also once inside the building," he
said.

If elected, Muladi said he would use a systematic approach in
improving the service, work and image of the Supreme Court.

"If I were just a judge, I don't think I could do anything to
improve the system, and if there are problems, I will be
affected," he said. (01/rms/jun)