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oordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno said on Saturday that President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo had submitted the names of candidates for the attorney general position to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for a background check.

Tedjo said the President had also made a formal request to the KPK to run the final screening on the shortlisted candidates for the vacant position.

'€œI am unaware of the details but the President has submitted [the candidate names to the KPK],'€ Tedjo told reporters at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport after President Jokowi departed for Beijing to attend the APEC Summit.

'€œHe [Jokowi] wants everything to be clear. He [does not] want to see [the next attorney general] distracted by such [corruption] issues.'€

In a break from tradition, Jokowi kept the post of attorney general vacant when he announced his Cabinet last month, sparking speculation that the President was mired in fierce negotiations with the leaders of parties in his coalition.

At least six figures have been touted for the position: deputy attorney general Andhi Nirwanto, who also serves as acting attorney general; junior attorney general for special crimes Widyo Pramono; Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) chief Muhammad Yusuf; former law and human rights minister Hamid Awaluddin; former judicial mafia taskforce member Mas Achmad Santosa; and NasDem Party lawmaker and former junior attorney general for general crimes HM Prasetyo.

The presence of NasDem chairman Surya Paloh on Saturday at Halim, alongside several ministers, has triggered speculation that Surya is intensifying lobbying to secure Prasetyo'€™s position in the race.

NasDem was the first political party to form a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) after the latter announced the candidacy of Jokowi, the then Jakarta governor, in this year'€™s presidential election.

However, Tedjo, who was a NasDem executive prior to his appointment as Cabinet minister, quickly denied if Surya'€™s presence had anything to do with the race for the attorney general position.

 '€œHe [Surya] is an experienced [businessman]. [He] gave advice [to the President] on trade issues that the President can share during the APEC meeting [with foreign leaders],'€ he said.

Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Emerson Yuntho said although he applauded Jokowi'€™s move to involve the KPK in the attorney general selection, he called on the President to give the position to candidates with no ties to political parties.

He also suggested Jokowi to install the new attorney general soon after returning from his trip.

'€œWithout a definitive [attorney general], it is impossible for Jokowi to execute his law-enforcement agenda,'€ Emerson told The Jakarta Post.