President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday in his capacity as head of state swore in Hamdan Zoelva and Ahmad Fadil Sumadi as justices at the Constitutional Court to replace two other justices who had reached the mandatory retirement age.
Hamdan who had previously worked as a lawyer, a politician from the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and former legislator, replaced Abdul Muktie Fadjar, while Ahmad, the former deputy head of the High Religious Court in Yogyakarta, replaced Maruarar Siahaan.
Hamdan was nominated by the government, and Ahmad was proposed by the Supreme Court. With the appointment, the Constitutional Court now has nine judges including chief Justice Mahfud M.D.
Also attending the ceremony at the Presidential Palace was First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono and his wife Herawati Boediono, Regional Representatives Council chairman Irman Gusman, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) acting chief Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Djoko Santoso and a number of ministers.
Hamdan vowed to maintain his neutrality despite his political background, saying he would leave his profession as a lawyer and his job as deputy chairman of the PBB to focus on his new post and meet the constitutional requirements.
“I don’t think we should separate those with and without political backgrounds,” Hamdan told reporters after the inauguration ceremony.
“What is most important is that Constitutional Court justices must have a vision for the future and objective views, and must be impartial, independent and not influenced by certain political parties,” he said, referring to the constitutional court law.
Hamdan, who ran a law firm, said he had left his previous job and cases he was handling, including one pushing for a judicial review of the 2009 Law on Minerals and Coal filed to the Constitutional Court, so as to avoid any conflicts of interest.
“I have resigned as attorney for the plaintiff. Ethically and morally I shall not be involved in the process to decide on the case because there could be conflicting interests,” he said.
The Constitutional Court now has three justices with party backgrounds, including Mahfud, who was from the National Awakening Party (PKB), and M. Akil Mochtar from the Golkar Party.
The main task of the court, which had been left with only seven justices after Abdul and Maruarar reached retirement age, was to conduct a judicial review of laws considered contrary to the 1945 Amended Constitution.
