Senior PDI-P lawmaker to run for Supreme Court justice
Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 03/21/2011 9:04 PM
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Gayus Lumbuun said on Monday that he had applied with the Judicial Commission (KY) for the upcoming Supreme Court justice selection process.
“I desire to continue my judicial career as a justice,” Gayus said, adding that he obtained permission from party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Gayus, a law professor at Jakarta-based Krisnadwipayana University, would compete with other candidates to fill 10 Supreme Court justice seats. “I am ready to face the series of tests,” Gayus said.
The Supreme Court announced it needed 10 justices added this year, as the current 50 justices were overwhelmed by the more than 13,000 cases submitted annually.
According to KY data, 63 people have applied for the positions. Of those, 47 are career judges.
Gayus said he would resign from the PDI-P and the House if he passed preliminary selection processes to be a justice candidate. Gayus would possibly face questions from colleagues of the House of Representatives’ law and human rights commission during a fit-and-proper test conducted by the commission to select qualified justices from among the candidates.
Gayus has a long history of experience as an advocate. Before serving as a legislator, he was the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Bar Association (Ikadin) and the chief patron of the Indonesian Advocates Association (Peradi).
Gayus’ candidacy is in contrast to another PDI-P senior politician, Panda Nababan, who is currently in Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) custody for a high-profile 2004 bribery case.
