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KPK Awaits President

· 6 minutes read

Three of the top five Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioners have tendered their resignation and transferred their leadership duties to the President. They still hope to receive a presidential invitation to discuss the recent issues surrounding the KPK.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Three of the five 2015-2019 leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), namely Agus Rahardjo, Laode M. Syarif and Saut Situmorang, transferred their responsibilities to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Friday (13/9/2019). They are awaiting further instructions from the President, and hope he will consult them on the recent issues that have affected the KPK.

The three KPK commissioners’ resignation is a response to the revision of Law No. 30/2002 on the KPK that the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government are currently deliberating, as well as to the results of the fit and proper test of shortlisted 2019-2023 KPK leadership candidates that concluded earlier this week and House Commission III’s final selection of five candidates.
The five final candidates are Firli Bahuri, as the 2019-2023 KPK chairman, Alexander Marwata, Nurul Ghufron, Nawawi Pomolango and Lili Pintauli Siregar.
To date, the KPK has never been consulted on the draft bill, nor has it received a copy of the bill.
After House Commission III announced its final selection, civil society activists placed a “coffin” draped in black fabric and a white funeral wreath at the entrance to the KPK building in Jakarta. Black placards that read "Farewell, KPK", "Rest in Chaos, RIP KPK" and “Rest in Pieces” were propped up against the coffin atop a scattering of red rose petals – a funeral accouterment.
Prior to the three KPK leaders’ announcement at 7:35 p.m., a group that claimed to represent student activists arrived the KPK earlier on Friday afternoon. The group set fire to the “funeral” flower boards that the public had sent during the week to show their support for the KPK, and tore off the black fabric that had been draped over the KPK logo mounted on the building.
KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO
The homepage of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK; https://www.kpk.go.id/) displayed until 3:53 p.m. on Friday (13/9/2019) a black box bearing the message, “We are working. We are fighting. #SaveKPK”.
The group then proceeded to declare its support for the revised KPK Law and congratulate the five final candidates that had been selected to lead the KPK for the 2019-2023 term.
The KPK’s role
On Friday, President Jokowi stressed that the selection of the next KPK leaders, including Firli, had followed the appropriate procedures through the KPK leadership selection committee and the DPR.
Accompanied by State Secretary Pratikno and Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, Jokowi added, "I want the KPK to have a central role in fighting corruption, one that has greater authority than other institutions."
With regard to the revision of the KPK Law, the President said he had studied it and listened to anticorruption activists, academics, students and prominent national figures.
Asked about the KPK leaders who wanted to meet with the President, Jokowi replied, "There are many who have met me and easily. Yesterday, I met figures related to the KPK Bill. It is easy [to arrange], simply through the State Secretary. If this has been done, of course a time will be arranged."
Regarding the news on the resignation of KPK deputy chair Saut Situmorang, the President stated that this was a personal right.
KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI
Smoke rises from a pile of burning flower boards on Friday (13/9/2019) at the “Red and White” building of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Kuningan, South Jakarta. The demonstration on Friday descended into chaos when supporters of the revised KPK Law set fire to the pro-KPK flower boards and attempted to force their way into the KPK compound.
Saut tendered his resignation on Friday morning. That afternoon, along with Agus Rahardjo and Laode, he announced that the three had transferred their duties to the President.
"With a heavy heart, on this day, Friday, 13 September 2019, we hand over the responsibility of managing the KPK to the President of the Republic of Indonesia," Agus announced.
Agus said that the five 2019-2023 KPK leaders that House Commission III selected on Friday morning still remained problematic. However, the KPK do nothing if the House plenary meeting had approved the selection.
What was currently more alarming to the KPK was the revised KPK Law. The KPK leadership had not received an official copy of the draft bill to date, and their requests to Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly had been only met with a response that the KPK would be invited later.
KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo (center), along with KPK deputy chairman Laode M, Syarif (right) and KPK deputy chairman Saut Situmorang (left), delivers a statement on Friday (13/9/2019) at the KPK headquarters in Jakarta. The three KPK commissioners announced that they were tendering their letter of resignation to President Joko Widodo.
"What kind of urgency and interests exist that we are unaware of, and the endorsement is rushed. We are extremely concerned that the corruption eradication [issue] is growing increasingly disturbing. The KPK feels that it is under siege from [all] sides," said Agus.
Closed hearing
Amidst the many controversies, the Working Committee (Panja) of the House Legislation Body (Baleg) and the government held a closed-door hearing to deliberate the KPK Bill on Friday. The hearing was the first to be held for deliberating the bill.
According to KPK Law Revision Committee chair Supratman Andi Agtas of the Gerindra Party faction, the hearing was closed because the House Ethics Code required that Panja-level deliberations must be held as closed hearings.
Earlier on Thursday evening (12/9), at the first working meeting of the House during which the President communicated his views on the KPK Bill, Yasonna had promised to discuss the revised KPK Law in a meeting that was open to the public.
KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) staff at the KPK headquarters in Jakarta gather in a show of support for the anti-graft body’s leaders on Friday (13/9/2019), when KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo, KPK deputy chairman Laode M. Syarif and KPK deputy chairman Saut Situmorang (not pictured) tendered their resignation.
Yasonna said at the time that although the Panja had the authority to decide on a closed meeting, transparency was necessary to avoid the impression that the DPR and the government were deliberating the bill in secret. "We will open wide the deliberations to prevent any falsehoods between us," said Yasonna.
Friday’s deliberation hearing was held for the Panja to review the 286 items on the problem inventory list (DIM) the government had submitted.
Panja deputy chair Totok Daryanto of the National Mandate Party faction said that public hearings would be held only for working meetings with the justice minister and the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister.
However, it was unlikely that the substance of the revised articles would change again during such working meetings, as they would be approved in advance at the closed-door Panja meetings.
Totok added that House factions and the government continued to debate on a number of items during the closed-door meeting on Friday. However, he declined to provide any details.
Kompas
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) staff, activists and members of the press attend a public announcement on Friday (13/9/2019) at the KPK headquarters in Jakarta. KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo (second left, front row), along with KPK deputy chairman Laode M. Syarif (second right) and KPK deputy chairman Saut Situmorang (left), announced that they were tendering their letter of resignation to President Joko Widodo.
The government’s DIM indicates a slight difference in stance between the government and the DPR on several points. For example, the government disagreed with the requirement for the KPK to coordinate with the Attorney General\'s Office on prosecutorial proceedings, for KPK investigators be appointed from the National Police, and with transferring the managerial authority over the wealth report of state officials (LHKPN) from the KPK to relevant ministries or other agencies. (IAN/INA/JOL/WER/INK/NIA/AGE)

Editor:
naranasrullah

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