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Jokowi drops Budi Gunawan's nomination as national police chief
Jakarta Globe - February 18, 2015
Joko said in a televised press conference on Wednesday that he will nominate another candidate, Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti, who is interim head of the National Police, as its chief.
"As the conflict has sparked division in the society, I feel the need to do something to calm the situation and unite the police corps," Joko said.
"The National Police needs a leader. I am now giving out a new candidate for the National Police Chief position: Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti."
"I also urge both the National Police and the KPK to abide by their codes of ethic in order to maintain the harmony between state institutions," the president added.
Badrodin 'ready'
Badrodin replied that he was ready to take up the task. "I've just heard that – I am ready to take up this responsibility," Badrodin told the Jakarta Globe. "I hope the entire process will be smooth and that 2015 will be a good year for the National Police."
Joko said he also wanted Budi to keep contributing to the corps despite not becoming its next top commander. "I also ask Budi Gunawan to continue contributing to the National Police to become the best [institution] in the nation," Joko said.
Budi, a three-star general, was named a graft suspect last month, just days after Joko nominated him for the role of Indonesia's top top.
Joko's indecisiveness on whether or not to inaugurate Budi has been panned by analysts and blamed for worsening a bitter feud between the Corruption eradication Commission, or KPK, and the National Police over the past few weeks.
House still in recess
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said in a reaction that he was confident that Badrodin would pass the fit-and-proper test administered by the House of Representatives.
"We have spoken with our friends at the House about our considerations [to nominate Badrodin]. This is for the public peace and the country's best interest," Kalla said after Joko announced Badrodin's nomination.
"Hopefully, this will also end the debate [regarding the conflict between the National Police and the KPK]," Kalla added. "Let's start working hard next week."
State Secretary Pratikno said that Badrodin's presidential nomination letter would be sent to the House on Wednesday, adding however that it would take some time before lawmakers would discuss the matter.
"The House has just completed their sitting period and they're now in recess. We will send the letter today, but the process will only start after the recess is over," Pratikno said after Joko's address. "To be a National Police Chief, he needs to be approved by the House, so he's still the deputy chief for now."
Lawmakers will return to Senayan on March 23, and will then have 20 days to discuss Badrodin's nomination.
PDI-P disappointed
Politicians of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) immediately expressed their disappointment about Joko's decision.
"Of course we're disappointed because until the announcement, we were still hoping for him to inaugurate Budi Gunawan," lawmaker Trimedya Panjaitan told Detik.com.
"We [in Commission III at the House] are now waiting for the nomination letter, then we will take action, accepting it or not. We will discuss it when we're in session again."
T.B. Hasanuddin, another senior PDI-P senior politician, questioned Joko's decision to not inaugurate Budi.
"I want to ask what has Budi Gunawan done that led to his nomination being suspended? He's no longer a [graft] suspect and the House has agreed to his appointment, so there's no reason that he couldn't be inaugurated," he said. "What's the point of waiting for the pretrial motion result if the ruling didn't even have an effect on [Joko's] decision?"
The South Jakarta District Court on Monday granted a pretrial motion filed by Budi against his naming as a suspect by the KPK, ruling that the antigraft body had not followed proper procedure.
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