The Legal Commission, representing the DPR, has started a feasibility test towards the 10 people nominated as KPK commissioners. Among the ten, some have the prospect of weakening the antigraft body.

After one Friday prayer, the Deputy Commissioner of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Saut Situmorang, gathered with other KPK employees who were all uniformed in black clothes. They carried posters inscribed with criticisms against the efforts to shake up their institution. For example, there was an outcry to the selection process for KPK's next commissioners as well as the revision for the Anti-corruption Bill, dubbed as 'the KPK Bill”.

All members of KPK – its commissioners, investigators and other employees – in fact held a demonstration by making a human chain surrounding the KPK building. This is claimed as a determined action to guard the antigraft body from any debilitating efforts. An orator were chanting, “There is only one word: resist!” and everyone replied by shouting and clenching their fists to the air.

Head of KPK's workers union, Yudi Purnomo, underlined that there are dubious people nominated as KPK's commissioners. His organization hopes that the House of Representatives will do all the due diligence to check them, so the selected commissioners are not the bad apples, and have “deep commitment to eradicate corruptions.”

Around a thousand of KPK employees, according to Purnomo, have signed a petition outlining their rejection to certain kinds of commissioners. Refusing to discuss in details about the candidates, he said statements from certain candidates have displayed particular problems. Among those candidates, somebody is supporting the revision of KPK Bill, the elimination of sting operations, or even refusing to investigate members from certain institutions.

“It's detrimental for the fight against corruptions. It means that the KPK is being debilitated and compromised by partial judgments,” said Purnomo.

A KPK Commissioner, Agus Rahardjo, really appreciates many supports to his institution, and the demonstration rally from all around Indonesia. However, though the selection process was not without debates, the result has come out and now it is in the hand of the president.

The KPK, as an institution, is supportive to the selection process. It is done by establishing a special counsel to look up the record of each candidate, and then gave it to the selection committee. “We also have told our support to some candidates who show good records, while also mentioning discoveries on certain issues,” said Rahardjo.

Previously, President Joko Widodo had approved all the 10 names nominated for the role of commissioners in the KPK. And the list has been given to the House of Representatives. The candidates are: Alexander Marwata (KPK), Firli Bahuri (Polri), I Nyoman Wara (auditor), Johanis Tanak (Attorney Generals), Lili Pintauli Siregar (advocate), Luthfi Jayadi Kurniawan (lecturer), Nawawi Pomolango (high court judge), Nurul Ghufron (lecturer), Roby aryo (civil servant) and Sigit Danang Joyo (civil servant). Commission III in the House began the feasibility test to the candidates on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019.

Head of the KPK's commissioners nomination committee, Yenti Ganarsih, claimed that all the ten proposed names have gone through all selection phases and been considered by many. “No one is without notes. But we studied, assessed, and considered from various aspects, resulting in the candidacy,” said her after the submission of the candidates list to the president.

Wana Alamsyah, an analyst from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), said that his institution has indicators to base their evaluation towards the candidates. He discovers that some candidates fail to meet these indicators, like a failure to report their wealth (through a report called 'LHKPN'), having problem with the code of ethics and a suspect on gratification.

In ICW's notes, the most unfit candidate is Firli Bahuri. He is followed by Alexander Marwata, although, according to Alamsyah, Marwata's issues have not reached a riddiculous point. He is different with Bahuri, who does “agree on the revision of KPK Bill,” said him to Muhammad Almer Sidqi from GATRA.

Alamsyah also said, a petition signed by KPK's employees is a testimony to his past conduct in hampering investigations. “We are worried,” said him, “he will become an impediment to the KPK in the future.”

Bahuri himself, according to GATRA's notes, is suspected with a violation of a code of ethics while sitting as the deputy of enforcement in KPK. He was seeing former Nusa Tenggara Barat governor, TGB Zainul Majdi, who was a witness in the case of stock divestment of PT Newmont. He is also suspected with gratification, accepting it in a form of hotel accommodations.

On the other hand, Bahuri stated that he has no intent to weaken the antigraft institution. He had been working in there for nearly a year and two months, without any bad intentions, “instead, I intended to help the KPK.”

Confronted with his past violation of a code of ethics, he refused to give response. He said that he had given the answer doing the public hearing with the Commission III on last Monday.

However, given the gloom prospect, Alamsyah admits that there are candidates who have strong commitment for the KPK. “At least we have four names who, during the public hearings, gave satisfying remarks in terms of corruption eradication,” said him.

Hidayat Adhiningrat P.

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Commissioner of KPK, Agus Rahardjo, really appreciates many supports to his institution, of demonstration rally from all around Indonesia. Although the selection process was not without debates, the result has come out and now is in the hand of the president.

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“Bahuri is known to have supported the KPK Bill.”

- Wana Alamsyah, analyst from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW)

“We also have told our support to some candidates who show good records, while also mentioning discoveries on certain issues,”

- Agus Rahardjo, Current Commissioner of KPK

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Candidates for KPK's commissioners Approved by President Joko Widodo-

1. Alexander Marwata

Commissioner of KPK

2. Firli Bahuri

Regional Police Head of South Sumatera

3. I Nyoman Wara

Auditor of the Audit Board

4. Johanis Tanak

Director of State Administration in the Attorney Generals

5. Lili Pintauli Siregar

Advocate and former head of LPSK (Lembaga Perlindungan Saksi dan Korban)

6. Luthfi Jayadi Kurniawan

Lecturer and founder of Malang Corruption Watch

7. Nawawi Pomolango

Judge and Speaker of Denpasar High Court

8. Nurul Ghufron

Lecturer and Expert Advisor for Commission XI in the DPR

9. Roby Arya Brata

Civil Servant in the Secretary of Cabinet

10. Sigit Danang Joyo

Civil Servant in the Ministry of Finance