Politically connected figures to dominate top audit agency
Politically connected figures to dominate top audit agency
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives will start considering candidates
for the new chairman and board members of the Supreme Audit
Agency (BPK) on Monday, with politically connected figures said
to top the list.
The deputy chairman of House Commission IX for finance, Faisal
Baasyir, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that the
commission would try to choose the best candidates for BPK
chairman.
"What we need is figures that are independent and free of
controversy. This is important because this position is crucial
for our effort to fight corruption in government ... We will try
to avoid vested interests," said Faisal.
Faisal is from the United Development Party (PPP).
No names have yet to be officially announced, but Faisal said
that based on discussions with fellow politicians, the names
include former finance minister Bambang Sudibyo, senior lecturer
Hadori Junus, chairman of the Indonesian Accountants Association
(IAI) Ahmadi Hadibroto and current BPK members Bambang Wahyudi,
Mukrom As'ad and Amrin Siregar.
Bambang Sudibyo, who was finance minister during the
Abdurrahman Wahid administration, has resumed his lecturing job
at Gadjah Mada University's School of Economics. He supports the
National Mandate Party (PAN).
Like Bambang, Hadori is a lecturer of Gadjah Mada's School of
Economics who specializes in accounting.
A legislator who refused to be named said that Hadori was
likely to be the strongest candidate because he had been
nominated by the winner of the 1999 general election, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
Hadori is the chairman of the Marhaenism Family Organization.
It remains unclear if the organization has any connection with
PDI-P.
Other candidates who have links with political parties are
Mukrom As'ad and Bambang Wahyudi.
From 1989 to 1994, Mukrom was the head of the cultural and
social department of the PPP and was one of the party's
legislators during the 1982-1987 and 1992-1997 periods, while
Bambang was a Golkar Party legislator from 1992 to 1997.
Concerning the possibility of current BPK chairman Satrio B.
Judono being reelected, Faisal said the possibility was small
because Satrio was nearly 65 years old, the official retirement
age for BPK chairman and board members. Satrio was born in 1940.
Analysts previously said it was virtually impossible to expect
the selection process to be free from political bargaining given
the importance of the agency.
The BPK is tasked with examining the implementation of the
state budget by the government and the financial reports of state
institutions, including state-owned enterprises, with attention
focused on corruption and other financial irregularities.
The agency consists of one chairman, one deputy chairman and
five members. According to Law No. 5/1973, the chairman, deputy
chairman and members of the BPK are nominated by the House and
appointed by the president.
The five-year tenure of the current BPK chairman and members
ended on Oct. 8 last year, but President Megawati Soekarnoputri
extended their tenure until the election of the new chairman and
board members.
Commission IX plans to screen the candidates starting on
Wednesday, and will submit the results on Feb. 16 to all
legislators for approval during the House's plenary session.