T

he Law and Human Rights Ministry said on Tuesday that it was considering making a recommendation to President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo to issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) that would enable him to appoint a new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner should the House of Representatives fail to select one by the Dec. 10 deadline.

The ministry said that the government was looking into the move after the House, which is dominated by the opposition camp, the Red-and-White Coalition, hinted that it would reject the two government-proposed KPK commissioner candidates '€” both of whom have already undergone a lengthy vetting process by an independent panel under the supervision of the ministry '€” despite the absence of a legal basis to justify such a move.

'€œSome say that the Perppu is unavoidable in this particular situation. Others say that no Perppu is needed. We are currently weighing our options. Later, we will brief the President on our conclusion,'€ said Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, who is also a senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician.

The ministry, through a selection committee led by its former minister, Amir Syamsuddin, narrowed the pool of 104 candidates registering for the position in August down to two finalists. One of the two finalists will fill the commissioner'€™s seat that will be vacated in early December when incumbent KPK commissioner Busyro Muqoddas steps down at the end of his term.

Busyro, however, has decided to run for a second term, and is one of the two finalists. He is expected to undergo a final screening at the House alongside Roby Arya Brata, the other finalist, who is head of international relations at the Cabinet Secretariat,

The call for Jokowi to issue a Perppu was first voiced by the selection committee spokesman, Imam Prasodjo, following a Monday meeting with House Commission III members overseeing legal affairs and laws, human rights and security, during which Commission III demanded the government restart the selection process.

Imam said that it was important for Jokowi to issue a Perppu to ensure that Busyro'€™s post would not sit empty after Dec. 10.

'€œThere must be a replacement for Busyro before the deadline expires. If the House fails to select a commissioner, then the Perppu is the only solution. We can consider the situation critical,'€ Imam said.

The KPK, meanwhile, has shrugged off Yasonna'€™s proposal.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said the situation was not particularly critical and no Perppu was needed.

He said that leaving Busyro'€™s post vacant until December 2015, at which time the terms of the other four commissioners '€” Abraham Samad, Bambang Widjojanto, Adnan Pandu Praja and Zulkarnain '€” would expire, would not contradict KPK Law No. 30/2002 given the collective collegial principle guiding KPK leadership.

'€œWe respect their decision, but so far none of the four KPK leaders want the President to issue a Perppu,'€ Johan said.

Article 21 of Law No. 30/2002 on the KPK stipulates that KPK leadership '€œconsists of five people'€.