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Busyro drops retirement plan, reapplies for KPK post
Outgoing Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Busyro Muqoddas announced on Monday that he would reapply for the same job on the anti-graft body, a move that many said could thwart the governmentâs alleged plan to influence the commission
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utgoing Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Busyro Muqoddas announced on Monday that he would reapply for the same job on the anti-graft body, a move that many said could thwart the government's alleged plan to influence the commission.
Controversy has emerged since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration insisted on establishing a selection committee in early August to seek a replacement for Busyro, whose tenure will wrap up in December, despite a formal rejection from KPK leaders recommending that the government not hold the selection process until 2015, when the tenures of all KPK commissioners expire.
Busyro confirmed having registered with the selection committee on Monday.
'Yes,' Busyro told The Jakarta Post the same day. 'I've been getting support from a number of parties. I started on Friday to think about whether to register myself and today I finally made up my mind.'
Busyro declined to give details on which parties had convinced him to run again.
'It would be unethical for me to reveal their names as their support for me is sincere and without any hidden agenda or conflict of interest,' he said.
Busyro's term will end one year earlier than that of the other four KPK commissioners, current chairman Abraham Samad, commissioners Bambang Widjojanto, Adnan Pandu Praja and Zulkarnain, all began their terms in 2011, one year after Busyro was elected commissioner in 2010.
Earlier, KPK commissioners unsuccessfully tried to persuade Yudhoyono to extend Busyro's tenure, arguing that new personnel could disrupt the 'solid' teamwork that had been built in the past four years.
The government said that, 'It would find a replacement for Busyro who could strengthen the current system at the antigraft body.'
Separately, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin, who was appointed by Yudhoyono to lead the selection committee, welcomed Busyro's decision to run for a second term through an open selection.
'It is a positive move. He had experience in leading the commission in his first term,' Amir said.
He added that Busyro's decision to register himself in the selection process would make the selection process more competitive, despite the fact that no other high profile figures had yet to apply as
of Monday.
Committee secretary Ahmad Ubbe said that as of Monday there had been 28 eight candidates who had registered themselves to join the selection process, including Busyro. The number is far less than the 200 people who registered in the 2011 selection process.
'We are confident that more candidates will register by Wednesday. All the 28 candidates have high profiles, like Pak Busyro,' Ubbe said, refusing to label candidates other than Busyro as 'lesser known figures'.
