One of the committee members, Supra Wimbarti, complained that so far, only a few women have registered for the selection.
"Of the 189 candidates that have registered so far, only 10 are women," she said at a press conference at the Anti-Corruption Study Center at state Gadjah Mada University on Saturday.
Wimbarti added that women should not feel inferior to register, as long as they have the qualifications and meet the requirements, such as expertise in the fields of law, economy or banking.
"We are concerned about the relatively low number of women participants," she remarked.
Wimbarti was in Yogyakarta as part of the committees efforts to recruit candidates from regions. Committee members have toured various regions to promote participation from them.
"Many of those who have enrolled so far are from Jakarta. I wish people from Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas would also participate," she stated.
As registration will be open till June 24, there is still time for people to enroll, Wimbarti pointed out.
In a surprise move, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recently named women figures as members of the selection committee.
They include Destri Damayanti, an economist; Enny Urbaningsih, a constitutional law expert; Herkristuti Herkrisnowo, a legal expert; Betty Alisjahbana, an IT and management expert; Yenti Garnasih, an economics and criminal law expert; Supra Wimbarti, a psychologist of human resources and education; Natalia Subagyo, an expert on governance; Diani Sadyawati, a legal expert; and Meutia Gani, a sociologist.
General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Scholars Association (ISNU) Ali Masykur Musa hailed the committee members as professional and independent.
"I saw that the committee members are all free from any political affiliation," he observed.
Regarding their gender, he said it was something new because men had dominated the committee previously.
"However, there is no guarantee that the all-women committee will be better or worse in meeting public expectations," Musa remarked.
The former politician and member of the State Audit Board expressed hope that the committee will be able to select candidates with high integrity and those able to enforce laws transparently and fairly.
Moreover, leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have expressed support for the composition of members of the agencys selection committee.
"I see that the members of the KPK selection committee have integrity and are credible. The committee comprises experts from many disciplines," acting deputy chairman of the anti-corruption body Johan Budi said on May 21.
Budi emphasized that the KPK needs people who understand not law alone but management and technology, as well.
"I see that the members of the KPK selection committee are not affiliated with or related to any particular political party," he affirmed.
According to Budi, members of the KPK will play a crucial role in determining the agencys future.
"Incidents experienced by the KPK towards the end of the third period served as important lessons for the commission. So choosing the right leaders for the 2015 to 2019 period is extremely important as there are possibilities of political interests playing a role in the selection of the KPK commissioners," Budi explained.
Two KPK commissioners were named as suspects by the police, due to which they were suspended in accordance with the law.
However, several quarters believe that the naming of KPK Chairman Abraham Samad and KPK Deputy Chief Bambang Widjojanto as suspects was mere criminalization, following the naming of former national police chief nominee Commissioner General Budi Gunawan as a suspect by the KPK in a corruption case.
Gunawans status was later revoked by the court that ruled that the commissions decision to name him as a suspect was illegitimate, attracting criticism from numerous sides. Gunawan is now the deputy chief of the national police.
Budi further noted that the KPK selection committee must choose commissioners independently and in an integrated and credible manner.
The all-women committee to select the commissioners of the KPK is a breakthrough by the government in the fight against corruption in the country.
The composition of the selection committee brought about a new hope of a healthier future in the country beset by rampant corruption, Secretary General of the Coalition of Indonesian Women Dian Kartika Sari said on May 24.
The KPK selection committee gives new hope for reform in the Corruption Eradication Commission," Sari stated here on Sunday.
Moreover, in a meeting with the committee members on May 25, President Joko Widodo expressed hope that they would select candidates who are credible, trusted by the public and have integrity.
Regarding the committee members who come from various academic backgrounds, the president noted, "I chose members from various academic fields such as economics, IT, psychology and sociology to ensure that the KPK leadership does not have expertise only in law-related affairs."
At the meeting, President Jokowi vowed that he would not interfere in the selection.
In addition, spokesperson for the committee Betty Alisjahbana affirmed, "He (the president) has complete faith in us and will not interfere."
The selection committee began the registration process to select the next KPK leadership on June 5.
The registration will remain open till June 24, before the committee announces the names, to provide the public an opportunity to scrutinize them and give inputs from June 27 to July 26.
After this period, the committee will select eight of them for submission to the president, who will then forward them to the House of Representatives that will conduct a fit and proper test.
The current KPK leaderships term of office ends on December 16.
So far, Busyro Muqqodas and Roby Arya Brata are the only candidates selected.
(H-YH/INE)
(KR-BSR/A014)
Reporter: Yoseph Hariyadi
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
