Muh Taufiqurrohman & Suharsana Aji – With just a day remaining before Comr. Gen. Timur Pradopo's "fit and proper" test at the House of Representatives, all eyes are on lawmakers to see how they respond to the president's nomination for the post of National Police Chief.
Controversy has surrounded President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to nominate only Timur for the position, but the House could put questions to rest by thoroughly examining Timur's integrity, competency and professionalism – and rejecting him if any qualities are found lacking.
First, the House needs to ensure that Timur both is outside the ring of corrupt, high-ranking police officers and is fully committed to tackling corruption within the National Police. Indonesia needs a police chief who is able to fight graft in all law enforcement agencies and bring the "legal mafia" to justice.
In doing their background check, Commission III lawmakers must use all available information from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) and advocacy groups like Indonesian Corruption Watch.
If Timur shows the slightest tendency toward graft, he should automatically be disqualified regardless of the president's backing.
Next, it is important for the candidate to have passion and determination to tackle radicalism and violence. Failure in this regard would constitute a betrayal of the vow to protect police officers and society from terrorism.
Unfortunately, Timur is known to have links to the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). Salim Umar Alattas, head of the group's Jakarta chapter, said in a Tempo newspaper report that Timur was close to the FPI due to his Islamic devotion.
The House should be wary of approving candidates linked to such groups, since they might be impartial when addressing radicalism and violence.
It is also a must that any chief be able to reform the National Police and instill respect for human rights among its officers. Timur's record in this regard, however, is tainted.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) holds him responsible for the Trisakti student shooting in 1998 and the Semanggi II shooting in 1999.
Next, it is important for a police chief to have workable plans to crack the illegal arms trade. Recent cases of bank robberies and the murder of police officers in North Sumatra and Jakarta illustrate how illicit weapons trading is a serious security issue.
Finally, the next National Police chief needs to be able to work well with the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and other law enforcement agencies, such as the KPK, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Anti-Terrorism Agency (BNPT).
Most security issues are complex and require inter-agency cooperation. A failure to cooperate with these agencies could well lead to turf wars and the kind of "gecko versus crocodile" fight we saw between the KPK and the police.
If the House finds that Timur fails to meet any of these requirements, it needs to reject him without hesitation for the sake of the Indonesian people and nation.
They must not be pressured into giving his appointment the thumb's up in order to keep the president happy. Indeed, rejecting Timur's nomination could signal a stronger and more mature democracy, one that makes use of its checks and balances.
In any event, the president would still have time to nominate a better candidate if Timur comes up short. Yudhoyono needs to base his nomination on professionalism – not politics – and it is up to the House to ensure this.
If Timur is rejected in the end, Goris Mere, head of BNN, may be a good alternative. He has proven to be tough, committed and ruthless in fighting radicalism. He is also free from any ties to fundamentalist groups and political parties, making him well-suited to fight corruption within the National Police and attached agencies.
Goris's recent clash with the Air Force over the use of one of their facilities during a terrorist raid in Sumatra might suggest that he has to work on his diplomatic skills. However, his reaction may be excused, given the sensitivity and urgency of the situation.
But the House might also face some criticism if it chooses to back a candidate like Goris, since he is Catholic and is considered by many critics as "too friendly" with Western governments.
Nevertheless, lawmakers must be willing to take such criticism in stride if they want to have a truly competent National Police chief who can resolve the institution's problems and help the nation move forward.
[Muh Taufiqurrohman is a researcher at the Indonesian Institute for Strategic Studies. Suharsana Aji is a postgraduate student at Parahyangan Catholic University (UNPAR).]