Jakarta – The big political parties, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), who have the largest number of seats on the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III must be held responsible for the selection of Antasari Azhar as the new head of Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK.

If the new KPK leadership is later proven to in fact be protecting the interests of corrupters and the political parties, the public must demand that these parties take responsibility.

This was conveyed during a press conference organised by anti-corruption activists from the Judicial Monitoring Commission (KPP) on Tuesday December 11 in Jakarta. The KPP, which is made up of a number of non-government organisations including Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), the National Consortium for Legal Reform (KRHN), the Centre for Legal and Policy Studies (PSHK), the Indonesian Institute for an Independent Judiciary (LeIP), the Indonesian Judicial Watch Society (MaPPI), Transparency International Indonesia (TII) and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), was holding a discussion under the theme The Plot to Liquidate the KPK.

According to Emerson Yuntho from ICW, the fit and proper test conducted by Commission III was little more than a means to legitimise a preferred political choice that had already been determined beforehand.

Commission III’s choice of leaders for the “KPK round II” was done in accordance with the political interests of the DPR to safeguard the 2009 political agenda, and at the same time to protect its party members from being indicted by the KPK. Data from the KPK itself indicates that the majority of corrupters are from the big political parties, that is Golkar and PDI-P. “It isn’t surprising therefore that Golkar and the PDI-P’s support for Antasari Azhar was so clearly evident,” said Yuntho.

Hermawanto from the Jakarta LBH said that the fit and proper test of the prospective KPK leaders conducted by the DPR demonstrates the emergence of a pro-corruption movement from the political parties.

According to anti-corruption activists, in the lead up to the 2009 general elections they will be organising a “rotten politician movement” against the politicians that chose the new KPK leadership, including those politicians that are the field operators. “The political parties have so blatantly demonstrated their preference for people who do not support the agenda to eradicated corruption”, said PSHK. (VIN)

[Translated by James Balowski.]