Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The House of Representatives has maintained that the Corruption Eradication Commission will have four new commissioners on Dec. 17 despite widespread concerns that lawmakers are stalling the selection process.
Four commissioners are set to end their term next month and the antigraft body, also known as the KPK, has expressed concerns that a leadership vacuum could form if the House fails to conduct the fit-and-proper test for the eight candidates running for their chairmen positions.
But the House has so far refused to continue the tests, which started more than a month ago, questioning trivial matters like the use of an outdated form for wealth declarations of the eight candidates eyeing for posts and the absence of former Justice Minister Patrialis Akbar who technically is still listed as head of an ad-hoc selection committee.
House deputy speaker Pramono Anung said on Wednesday that House Commission III, which conducted the fit-and-proper tests, was not trying to create a leadership vacuum in the respected body. The commission that oversees legal affairs, he said, has the right to question the "administrative anomalies" found.
"This is nothing out of the ordinary and they must [ask questions] whenever they found new findings, records, political attitudes and so on," the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P politician said. "These things affect the selection process. We just want a KPK that catches crooks, not just a KPK that says many things."
Former minister Patrialis, who was last month replaced by Amir Syamsuddin, said that the matters highlighted were trivial and should not stall the selection process.
On Wednesday, the House hearing was postponed after lawmakers refused to sit down with Amir, saying they wanted to talk with the old minister about the outdated form.
Patrialis said that only the format differed from the old and new forms, though he acknowledged the selection committee had provided the wrong forms for the candidates. He said he issued an apology to the lawmakers.
House deputy speaker Pramono said all nine factions at the House were monitoring the selection process and would ensure the tests concluded before Dec. 17 as required.
"It is not just the KPK's reputation that is at stake, but also relationships between the House, the government and the KPK. We just want the new KPK to be stronger and more credible," he said.
Analysts say the relationships between the KPK and the House are strained after the KPK arrested more than 40 former and current lawmakers for a number of corruption cases. The House, analysts say, has responded by trying to diminish the KPK's power.