Jakarta – The Judicial Commission is scheduled to select a chairman Monday in an election observers are calling crucial to improving the watchdog's performance.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing legal affairs elected seven new commissioners to head the institute for the 2010-2014 term: Eman Suparman, Abbas Said, Imam Ansori Saleh, Taufiqurrahman, Suparman Marzuki, Jaja Ahmad Jayus and Ibrahim.
The 2004 Judicial Commission Law stipulates that the seven elected commissioners would select one of their own to lead the institute.
Asep Rahmat Fajar from the Indonesia Legal Roundtable (ILR) expressed hope for the future of the commission, which was widely seen as toothless for lacking the power to punish rogue judges.
"There is hope. However, things will only turn around if the new commissioners work together honestly and independently to improve the commission," Asep told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He added one way for the commissioners to prove their commitment to the public was to have an open and transparent selection process to pick a chairman next Monday.
"This is so the public knows what kind of person has been chosen to lead the body," he said. "Getting the candidates to publicly announce their platforms would lead to expectations that the candidates should make good on their promises."
Asep said he believed the Commission under the right leadership would be stronger in the future. "Past commissioners set the foundations for the organization, including its structure, culture as well as networking. Now the new commissioners have to pick up the reins by strengthening the Commission," he said.
Asep emphasized this could be achieved by pushing the House to revise the law on the Commission to give it more power to oversee judges.
Last week, activists from various judicial watchdogs grouped under the Court Monitoring Coalition (KPP) came to the Commission to file reports on Abbas Said, who they perceived as unsuitable for the post of chairman because of his tainted track record.
"We found at least two flaws. Abbas Said was among 31 Supreme Court justices who appealed for a judicial review on the Judicial Commission's authority to monitor judges," Hasril Hertanto from the Indonesian Judicial Watch Society (Mappi) told Eddy Hary Susanto, the head of the judge supervisory unit, at the Commission during the meeting last week.
"He also has a questionable record in handling cases during his tenure as a justice," Hasril added.
However, the ILR's Asep said there were at least three people the Coalition perceived as "clean": Eman Suparman, Imam Ansori and Suparman Marzuki.
Eman Suparman, a former civil law lecturer at Bandung's Padjajaran University, was appointed as professor in 2009.
A legislator between 2004 and 2009, Imam Ansori Saleh from the National Awakening Party (PKB) once served on the House's Commission III.
Suparman Marzuki is a lecturer at the Indonesia Islamic University in Yogyakarta. (ipa)