Heru Andriyanto – Antigraft groups on Tuesday urged the president to pick a new attorney general.

Of the 37 candidates President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has interviewed for his 34-member cabinet, none have been for attorney general, triggering speculation that he may reappoint Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, who assumed his post in 2007.

"Not him again, please," said Emerson Yuntho, the deputy chairman of Indonesia Corruption Watch. "We have formally asked the president to find a replacement for Hendarman, who has failed to lead his office in fighting corruption and launching sound internal reforms."

Emerson did not recommend any alternate candidates for the job. "We can only say that the next attorney general must be brave, honest and independent," he said.

The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (Maki) is also opposed to Hendarman retaining his post. Maki has sued the Attorney General's Office several times for dropping major graft cases.

"The next attorney general must come from outside the AGO if we want to see reforms," said Maki coordinator Boyamin Saiman. "Yunus Husein, the head of the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center [PPATK], could be the right person."

Boyamin said he disagreed with widespread media speculation that the president would pick Hendarman, AGO deputy for special crimes Marwan Effendy or prominent lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis to serve as attorney general.

"We oppose Hendarman, as well as his deputy, Marwan," Boyamin said. "As for Todung, he once represented the Salim Group in a corruption case uncovered by the AGO. If he leads the office, it could lead to a conflict of interest."

A series of scandals ranging from corruption to domestic violence have marred Hendarman's tenure. A senior prosecutor last year was sentenced to 20 years in jail for taking bribes. Another official was jailed for spousal abuse.

The AGO again became the target of public outrage this year when two district prosecutors in North Jakarta were arrested for selling ecstasy pills taken from an evidence locker.

Also, prosecutors in Tangerang detained a mother for three weeks for writing an email critical of a hospital in a controversial defamation case.

Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng on Monday said the president would select officials for the attorney general and cabinet secretary posts in a separate process, but he did not provide a time line.