Two candidates running for chief justice post

JAKARTA (JP): Chief Justice Purwoto Suhadi Gandasubrata says that the two candidates nominated by the House of Representatives to replace him have an equal chance of taking the post.

Purwoto however declined to state his preference between M. Djaelani and Soerjono, both senior justices on the Supreme Court.

"Believe me, they both have an equal chance to be the next Chief Justice," Purwoto told reporters on Saturday about his possible successor. "The most important thing is that the candidates are our own senior judges, not outsiders."

He said the post traditionally goes to a justice with long service in either criminal cases, which would suit Djaelani, or civil cases, which would suit Soerjono.

Purwoto turned 65, the mandatory retirement age for a chief justice, on Oct. 11 and will leave office at the end of the month. The DPR has proposed the two candidates to President Soeharto, who will make the final choice.

Purwoto, who took the helm of the Supreme Court two years ago after long service in the court, said he expected Soeharto to make his decision soon.

Purwoto was speaking at an inauguration ceremony of senior justices Busthanul Arifin, deputy chief justice in charge of Religious Court, and Moenarso Yahya, a senior judge inaugurated to replace Busthanul.

Purwoto said he had no influence whatsoever in the nomination process but believed that other senior justices were also considered, including Bismar Siregar and Adi Andojo Soetjipto, before the House trimmed the list to two.

Djaelani appears to be the front runner by virtue of his seniority in the Supreme Courts hierarchy. He is currently the vice chief justice while Soerjono is deputy chief for traditional civil cases. Both men are 63 years old which means that whoever is selected will only serve for two years.

Djaelani was also nominated for the post two years ago. He is a retired army major general who began his legal career in the military courts.

He rose to public prominence in 1991, when as a member of the Supreme Court he was appointed to head the national commission to investigate the bloody clashes between the military and East Timor demonstrators, an incident that sparked an international outcry.

Soerjono began his career as a government prosecutor in 1957 before he became a court's judge two years later.

He served as chief of several high prosecutor's offices before joining the Supreme Court in 1982 as Senior Judge. He was then appointed Deputy Chief Justice in charge of Traditional Civil Cases in 1992. (imn)