SBY has 'pocketed candidates for BI governor'

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 02/14/2008 11:56 AM  |  Business

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has selected candidates for the governor of Bank Indonesia (BI), and will submit their names to the House of Representatives before the week's end, State Secretary Hatta Radjasa said Wednesday.

Hatta told reporters at the Presidential Palace that the President was ready with the names of candidates for BI governor after receiving input from related ministers.

"The president has pocketed the candidates suitable for BI governor. He will send a maximum of three candidate's names and a minimum of one name to the House before Feb. 17," Hatta said.

Hatta refused to identify candidates or give details on whether they came from inside or outside BI. Asked whether former BI deputy governor Aulia Pohan, whose daughter married one of Yudhoyono's sons, was among the chosen, Hatta declined to answer.

"We have certain criteria for the candidates. The bottom line is that they should have excellent track records in the monetary field," he said.

BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah said Tuesday he did not want to be a candidate for the next BI gubernatorial election. He was declared last month as a suspect in a graft case involving lawmakers.

Burhanuddin, BI governor since 2003, will end his term May 17th. However, existing regulations require the President submit to the House a list of candidates three months before Feb. 17, when the new governor is ushered in.

Burhanuddin, along with BI legal affairs director Oey Hoey Tiong, and former head of BI's communication bureau Rusli Simanjuntak, have been named suspects by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the case surrounding the misappropriation of BI funds worth Rp 31.5 billion (about US$3.4 million).

They allegedly transferred the money to various members of a house commission overseeing the banking sector during the amendment of the law on BI in 2004. Former members of the commission have denied they received the money.

Analysts have suggested several possible candidates, including BI senior deputy governor Miranda Goeltom, BI deputy governor Muliaman D. Hadad, Aulia Pohan and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Many, however, believe the appointment of Aulia would increase public nepotism accusations against Yudhoyono, just days after the government appointed Gatot M. Suwondo as president director of state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI).

Gatot is a brother-in-law of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.

While confirming that the House had not received the list of candidates from the President, House Budget Committee member Hari Azhar said Aulia could be one of the candidates.

"Some have mentioned his name. But it is still open," Hari, a Golkar Party member said, adding that his party was yet to decide on its favored candidate.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.