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onstitutional Court justice Akil Mochtar said on Tuesday that he was ready to replace the court’s chief justice, Mahfud MD, whose term ends next month.

“My aspiration to become chief justice is not based on requests or support from others. It is solely based on my devotion,” he said after a meeting with the members of House of Representatives.

When asked about his intention to run as chief justice, Akil said, “Hopefully. May I have your blessings.”

House members have signaled that Akil would likely have his term extended. His term ends in August.

Ruhut Sitompul, a lawmaker from the House Commission III on law and human rights, said on Tuesday that Akil was ready to succeed Mahfud, who would not throw his hat in the ring for another term, considering his extensive legislative and judicial experience.

“He is my senior in the Commission III and used to work as lawyer. He thoroughly understands legal issues as well,” Ruhut, a member of the Democratic Party, said at the House complex in Senayan, Jakarta.

Akil had previously served as a Golkar Party lawmaker, but left his political career behind in 2008 after being appointed as a justice. Between 2004 and 2006, Akil was the deputy chairman of Commission III.

Commission deputy chairman from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Al Muzammil Yusuf, said that he did not doubt Akil’s integrity and professionalism.

All nine elected Constitutional Court justices are slated to appoint the new chief justice after Arief Hidayat, who will succeed Mahfud on the bench, is sworn in. The new chief justice will be elected by all nine Constitutional Court justices

Al Muzammil said that the commission would likely extend Akil’s tenure on Wednesday without him having to go through fit-and-proper tests. Meanwhile, Erwin Natosmal of judiciary watchdog Indonesian Legal Roundtable (ILR), urged the commission to have Akil take the tests.

“If Akil is chosen without going through the same selection process as required for other justice hopefuls, the House would have then ignored the principles of transparency and equality before the law in the selection of public officials,” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. “And if that’s the case, the House is dismissing the rights of the public to be
involved in democracy.”

He also said that it was unethical to have someone with a political party affiliation as chief justice as the chief justice would lead the Constitutional Court in handling regional election disputes and judicial review cases related to elections.

Just recently, ILR, along with several other judicial and human rights NGOs visited the commission to provide input on the justice selection process.