We strongly protest any attempt to weaken efforts to stop corruption, including the weakening of KPK institutionJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) is scheduled to approve five commissioner candidates of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to become new leaders of the anti-graft body at a plenary meeting on Monday.
The House's Commission III had earlier approved the new KPK leadership candidates, the House's secretary general stated here on Monday.
The Commission III had conducted fit and proper tests of 10 proposed KPK leader candidates and selected five of them via a voting mechanism in the wee hours of September 14, 2019. The DPR, at the plenary meeting, will seek approval from all members.
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The five selected candidates are Firli Bahuri, as the KPK chairman from the Indonesian Police; Nawawi Pomolango, as deputy chairman/judge; Alexander Marwata, as the deputy chairman/incumbent; Nurul Ghufron, as deputy chairman/lecturer; and Lili Pintauli Siregar, as deputy chairperson/LPSK - the Witness and Victim Protection Agency.
After the Parliament’s approval, the five elected KPK commissioners will be inaugurated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the KPK leaders for the 2019-2023 period.
In the meantime, the DPR and government have been deliberating over a bill to revise the law on KPK.
The plan to revise the law has triggered pros and cons in the public. Those opposing the revision plan said that it will weaken the authorities of the KPK in its efforts to eradicate corruption in the country.
The Center for Constitutional Law Studies of the Faculty of Law of the University of Indonesia, in a press statement dated September 15, 2019, expressed its objection of the planned revision.
Mustafa Fakhri, chairman of the Center for Constitutional Law Studies, urged President Jokowi to be consistent in his pledge to backing efforts to strengthen the KPK.
Furthermore, the Indonesian Consumers Protection Foundation (YLKI) vehemently rejected the revision plan of the KPK law, as victims of corruption practices are consumers.
"We strongly protest any attempt to weaken efforts to stop corruption, including the weakening of the KPK institution," YLKI Executive Chairman Tulus Abadi noted in a statement here on Monday.
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Translator: Riza Harahap: Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
