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Presidential team asks Budi Gunawan to quit police chief bid
Chairman of the presidential fact-finding team, SyafiâI Maarif, said his team had asked President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo to cancel the inauguration of Comr
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hairman of the presidential fact-finding team, Syafi'I Maarif, said his team had asked President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to cancel the inauguration of Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as police chief and called on Budi to quit his bid to become police chief to end the mounting conflict between the police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
'The most elegant solution is for BG [Budi Gunawan] to quit the nomination and this will likely happen,' he said at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday.
Syafi'I, also former chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the country, said the nine-member team was of the opinion that Budi should quit the nomination voluntarily to end the conflict.
He commented that implementing the idea introduced by certain legislators that Budi be sworn in and then dismissed would be difficult.
'To me, this would be very difficult. The problem would become even more complex if Budi declined to step down. The House of Representatives has its own agenda, doesn't it? It is politics,' Syafi'I said, as quoted by kompas.com.
The House recently asked the President to swear in Budi as the new National Police chief since he had already passed the fit and proper test, despite his status as a graft suspect.
The President was expected to make a decision on Budi's fate by the end of this month, he added.
Syafi'I also said that the President should dare to take political risks when he decided not to inaugurate Budi and should propose someone else for the position of police chief.
'Of the utmost importance is the President build better political communications [with the House and political benefactors],' he said. (rms)(+++)
