P

resident Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo is carefully weighing his options to fill the chief position of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), in expectation that he could get a well-qualified official on whom he could rely for credible intelligence information, says Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno.

Tedjo said that occasionally in the past the intelligence service gave the country'€™s president inaccurate intelligence information.

The coordinating minister made the statement amid intense lobbying by political parties grouped under Jokowi'€™s coalition to have their preferred candidates selected as BIN chief.

Jokowi had yet to announce a replacement for the current BIN chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Marciano Norman, almost two weeks after he announced his Cabinet.

'€œHe [Jokowi] is extra careful in selecting candidates to be the BIN chief, because intelligence data was sometimes misleading,'€ Tedjo said at the presidential office on Tuesday. '€œAnd he [the President] does not want that; he wants data that is accurate.'€

According to Tedjo, Jokowi wants the BIN under his administration to serve as an intelligence hub to coordinate with existing intelligence institutions within the military, the police and the attorney- general'€™s office.

'€œ[BIN] should be able to coordinate them and process all intelligence data [coming from these institutions] into solid information before forwarding it to the President. So, there will no [longer] be confusion,'€ Tedjo said.

Several names believed to have been in the running for the BIN'€™s top job include former BIN deputy chief As'€™ad Said Ali, former Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) chief Rear Marshal (ret.) Ian Perdanakusuma and current BIN deputy chief Maj. Gen. Erfi Trianussu.

Also in the list of candidates were former deputy defense minister Lt. Gen. (ret) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and As'€™ad, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the country'€™s biggest Muslim organization, Nadhlatul Ulama (NU).

Jokowi had already made up his mind about some candidates, Tedjo said.

Tedjo also revealed that Sutiyoso, the chairman of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI), which is one of Jokowi'€™s coalition members, had also been one of the candidates considered by Jokowi.

Sutiyoso, who is also a former Jakarta governor, once served as Greater Jakarta military commander.

Human rights activists, as well as the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), have repeatedly called on Jokowi not to pick individuals implicated in past human rights abuses.

According to Komnas HAM, Sutiyoso and Sjafrie were allegedly responsible for the 1998 May Riots, as well as for the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists during the riots, while NGO Imparsial had named As'€™ad as one of several figures indicated to be involved in past human rights cases, including the murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

Tedjo said Jokowi focused on the track records of the candidates, instead of their political ties.

'€œ[He preferred a figure] who is competent and capable,'€ Tedjo said.

Later on Tuesday, Jokowi summoned Marciano for a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Office.

Speaking after the meeting, Marciano said they did not discuss issues related to the selection of the new BIN chief.

In the meeting, Jokowi wanted to get briefings on security conditions in three provinces in Sulawesi and three foreign countries where Jokowi is expected to go for working visits.

Later this month, Jokowi is expected to travel to China, Myanmar and Australia for a number of high-level meetings.

Marciano declined to comment about who should replace him. '€œI don'€™t know about it. It is the prerogative of the President, I am only carrying out my duty.'€

Marciano also said that Jokowi should pick a candidate based on his or her skills, instead of on political affiliation or whether the candidate comes from a military or civilian institution.