Jokowi Wants Diversity in Next Batch of KPK Leaders

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, May 25, 2015

President Joko Widodo, center, meets with the nine-member, all-female committee
 to select the next leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
(Antara Foto/Yudhi Mahatma)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo said on Monday that he wants the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to be led by people with different expertise and skill sets to expedite the country’s fight against graft and better tackle cases that are getting increasingly sophisticated and complex.

“The selection committee must also consider how to transform the KPK into a respected institution that can develop a modern investigation system,” the president told a nine-member committee tasked with finding suitable candidates for the roles of KPK commissioners.

The term of the current batch of commissioners will end in December and their replacements must be named before then.

Joko last week garnered praise from experts and activists when he announced an all-female selection committee, with  backgrounds ranging from economy, law, human rights and even information technology.

The president appointed economic analyst Destry Damayanti and state administrative legal expert Enny Nurbayaningsih as the committee’s head and deputy head respectively.

Other members of the team include Harkristuti Haskrisnowo, a criminal law and human rights expert; Betty Alisjabana, a technology, information and management analyst; Yenti Garnasih, a money laundering and criminal law expert; noted psychologist Supri Wimbarti; Natalia Subagio, the chairwoman of Transparency International Indonesia; as well as Diani Sadiawati, the director of legal human rights at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas); and Meuthia Ganie-Rochman, an expert on corruption sociology and social capital.

Experts praised the appointment, describing the members as people with professional integrity and free from political affiliations.

The president said selecting a committee from diverse backgrounds should rersult in equally diverse candidates, allowing the KPK to investigate complex cases.

The upcoming candidates “must also be able to build networks and relationships with other institutions,” he said.

Joko met with all committee members for the first time at the State Palace at 3 p.m. on Monday.

State Secretary Pratikno said aside from explaining what his ideal candidates would be like, the president also told committee members to immediately set up plans and procedures for the screening process.

The committee members said they would encourage more women to apply and possibly become the agency’s first female commissioner.

“We feel a diverse team of KPK leaders will be very good. Diverse in the sense of their competency as well as gender,” selection committee spokeswoman Betti Alisjahbana said after meeting the president.

“We will try to have at least one woman [leading the KPK] although our assessment will be based on the criteria set.”

Previous KPK commissioners have so far all been law enforcers, legal practitioners and auditors.

Betti said the committee would be proactive, approaching a variety of non-profit groups and encourage them to have one of their own people applying for the posts.

“If you know any potential candidate, please persuade them, encourage them and convince them to play a role in the KPK,” she continued.

Chairwoman Destry said the committee would also stage consultation meetings with the KPK to understand what the agency needs most at the moment.

She said the committee would host a series of marathon meetings starting on Tuesday to formulate details of the selection process. “We will move quickly, because we don’t have a lot of time,” she said.

The selection process for five new leaders is estimated to conclude by November, after which the final candidates would have to undergo a House of Representatives vetting process. Inauguration is expected in December, after which the five leaders will serve a four-year term.

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