Trustees fail to appoint YLBHI head

Trustees fail to appoint YLBHI head

JAKARTA (JP): The board of trustees of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) failed yesterday to elect a new executive director to run the organization amidst a ruckus over the way the election is held.

Three candidates for the post -- Luhut Pangaribuan, Hendardi and Mulyana Kusumah -- declined to be interviewed by the board until their protest to have the election system changed was met.

Two other candidates -- Bambang Widjajanto dan Sukardjo -- were interviewed separately.

The 15-member board -- which includes noted public figures such as Hoegeng Imam Santoso, Mochtar Lubis, Franz Magnis Suseno and Ali Sadikin -- eventually agreed to hear the complaints, which were made not only by the candidates but also by the organization's chapters in the regions.

YLBHI, which has been pushing for democratic reforms in Indonesia, is now being accused of undemocratic practices by its own supporters for excluding them from electing a leader.

The previous executive director, Adnan Buyung Nasution, resigned from the post last October. (16/emb)