The Corruption Eradication Commission leadership selection committee (Pansel KPK) has announced that 192 candidates have passed the administrative stage of the selection process. Members of the public may provide their inputs on the candidates’ backgrounds until the end of August.JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The public has been asked to participate in checking the backgrounds of the 192 candidates whom the Pansel KPK declared on Thursday (11/7/2019) to have passed the administrative stage of its leadership selection process. The selection committee was reminded at the time to be sensitive to candidates who could potentially disrupt the KPK\'s performance.
During the registration stage from 17 June to 4 July, 384 applicants had submitted their documents to the committee. However, after the subsequent verification culled duplicate applications that were sent online, the figure decreased to 376. Of this figure, 184 candidates were disqualified for several reasons including incomplete applications forms, unsatisfactory essays, missing curriculum vitae information, less than the required 15 years of service in specific fields, and failing to meet the age requirement of 40-65.
Those candidates who passed the administrative stage include three KPK commissioners who are seeking a second term – Alexander Marwata, Basaria Panjaitan and Laode M. Syarif – as well as KPK community education and services director Giri Suprapdiono and KPK prevention deputy chairman Pahala Nainggolan.
Thirteen high-ranking police officers also passed the selection, including Brig. Gen. (Pol.) Akhmad Wiyagus and Insp. Gen. Antam Novambar, while several prosecutors also passed, such as Ranu Mihardja.
Pansel KPK chairwoman Yenti Garnasih has invited the public to look into the backgrounds of the KPK leadership candidates and send feedback by email to panselkpk2019@setneg.go.id or deliver the feedback directly to the Pansel KPK secretariat at the State Secretariat Building 1 in Jakarta. The committee is accepting public feedback until the end of August, which must be accompanied by supporting data and other evidence.
Yenti said that the committee would take all public feedback into consideration, but the feedback would be verified first.
She added that the committee expected input from relevant agencies like the KPK, the Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Center, the National Police, the State Intelligence Agency, the National Narcotics Agency and the National Counterterrorism Agency.
Cautious
Asep Iwan Iriawan, a criminal law lecturer at Jakarta’s Trisakti University, said that it was too early to judge the candidates, since they must still pass seven other stages of the selection process. However, he expressed optimism that the selection committee would be able to come up with at least 10 of the best candidates. "The key is the public test, so that people know who they (the candidates) are," said Asep.
Separately, law school lecturer Herlambang Perdana of Airlangga University in Surabaya urged the Pansel KPK to ensure that it came up with the 10 best and most credible candidates for its shortlist.
The process would produce twice as many candidates as the five KPK leadership positions that were to be filled.
Herlambang said that “credibility” referred to more than being clean or unconnected to corruption cases, and that it also referred to active participation in eradicating corruption or, at the very least, upholding integrity.
He added that the committee must also take particular note of candidates who could potentially disrupt the KPK\'s performance. This could mean candidates who were directly or indirectly involved in corruption cases, those who might present a conflict of interest because they had previously worked for, defended or testified as experts for defendants of corruption trials, those engaged in suspicious activities that lacked integrity, were unethical or violated human rights.
"The KPK is not just looking for leaders, it is also looking for forward-thinking leaders who have the guts to develop the anti-corruption movement," said Herlambang.
Competency test
The 192 candidates who passed the administrative stage are to advance to the competency exam on 18 July, which tests their objectivity and includes writing an essay.
"We hope that [our peers] who have applied and are taking the [competency] exam understand the duties and the authority of the KPK in detail, as well as all matters related to corruption – from the crime and its scope, to its prosecution, prevention, surveillance and coordination," said the Pansel member Harkristuti Harkrisnowo.
The candidates’ understanding of the article on money laundering was also being considered, Yenti said, since the article was used to prevent losses to the state. The results of the competency exam would be announced on 25 July, with those who passed advancing to the psychology test, health test, personal evaluation, a public test and finally, an interview.
Yenti added that the committee was still communicating with media leaders to determine the format of the public test, and that the test was intended to make the selection process transparent. (INA)