SP/Carlos Paath & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The House of Representatives has threatened to take over the country's main human rights body unless it can resolve a deeply polarizing internal dispute.

Aziz Syamsuddin, a deputy chairman of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, revealed on Tuesday that the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) had been given until mid-March to resolve the spat or be taken over by the House.

The dispute at Komnas HAM revolves around the length of the term served by the chairman, which the House has proposed should be cut from the current two and a half years to just one year. Four of the organization's 13 commissioners, including Otto Nur Abdullah, the chairman, have opposed the move, but the nine other commissioners have sided with the proposal.

The split became apparent in early January when the commissioners met to vote on the proposal. The heated argument that followed the vote devolved into recriminations about the unfairness of the chairman getting a Toyota Camry for the length of his tenure while the other commissioners received less luxurious cars.

Otto and his two deputies, Sandrayati Moniaga and Muhammad Nurkhoiron, resigned from their posts last week, leaving Komnas HAM leaderless. Almuzzammil Yusuf, another House Commission III deputy chairman, said Komnas HAM had been given a month to sort out the issue.

"If they can't, then House Commission III will regard the Komnas HAM leadership as being unable to perform," he said. He added that the House would then take over the rights body and prepare to hold a fresh selection for commissioners.

Otto, who was only appointed chairman last November, said he was hopeful that Komnas HAM would be able to resolve the dispute by early March. "I'm optimistic that we can come to an agreement because we've got a plenary meeting coming up in early March when we can discuss the matter," he said.

Ahmad Yani, a Commission III legislator, said the House was partly to blame for the dispute because it had "chosen the wrong people" when carrying out the vetting process for the new Komnas HAM commissioners last year.

"I apologize because the House played a role in short-listing the wrong people, who have since turned out to be in it just for the job perks," he said. "They're just after the material benefits. Imagine that, squabbling over the chairperson's Camry. This is very embarrassing for all of us."

However, independent human rights groups have blasted the House for sparking the discontent in Komnas HAM with its proposal to cut the chairperson's term. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) urged the human rights body to settle the dispute before the 2014 election.

"In the upcoming election, Komnas HAM should be ready to make 'moral callings,' including urging the General Election Commission (KPU) to not allow candidates who have committed gross human rights violations in the past to run," Haris Azhar, coordinator for Kontras.