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ollowing the government'€™s announcement of a plan to form a selection team to recruit new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders for the next five years, concerns loom that the team will be filled by figures who resent the antigraft body for its bold moves in handling graft cases.

The Anticorruption Study Center (PUKAT) at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta said on Sunday that filling the team with figures it deemed as '€œKPK detractors'€ would compromise the quality of the future KPK commissioners set to serve from 2015 until 2019.

The antigraft watchdog made the statement amid rumors circulating that the Law and Human Rights Ministry, which is now led by ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Yasona Laoly, was considering recommending one-time graft convict and Padjajaran University law expert Romli Atmasasmita as the chairman of the team to the President.

During the KPK and the National Police standoff in February, Romli appeared antagonistic toward the KPK by defending then National Police chief candidate Comr. Budi Gunawan, who was named a bribery suspect by the KPK in January.

'€œThe figures who will be tasked with selecting new KPK commissioners should not hate the KPK. Second, they must be up-to-date on the progress of graft eradication in the country. [The President] should not appoint people who want to undermine the country'€™s antigraft efforts,'€ PUKAT director Zainal Arifin Mochtar said on Sunday.

 '€œThe President should not appoint lawyers who have clients that are being investigated by the KPK as team members. How could you expect such lawyers to be neutral in appointing KPK leaders?'€ Zainal added.

Former KPK advisor Abdulla Hehamahua called on the President to not appoint candidates affiliated with political parties as the KPK was currently investigating graft cases involving political elites.

'€œThe team should comprise academicians. The team members'€™ integrity and track records must be thoroughly examined by the government,'€ Abdul said over the weekend.

As the KPK is currently investigating the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) case, which could have links to PDI-P chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri in her capacity as president between 2001 and 2004, many fear that the selection could be used as a gateway for the government to insert KPK chairpersons who would halt the investigation.

In addition to the Law and Human Rights Ministry, which may recommend Romli as the independent team'€™s chairman, the State Secretariat had also proposed a number of figures known for their good track records as team members in February.

The figures were former KPK commissioners Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas and Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean as well as former KPK selection team chairmen and University of Indonesia (UI) sociologist Imam Prasodjo and Andalas University constitutional law professor Saldi Isra.

The names have been touted by anticorruption activists currently employed as expert staff at the State Secretariat, including former Transparency International Indonesia secretary-general Teten Masduki and law practitioner Alexander Lay.

Other camps trying to propose candidates include the Vice Presidential Office.

Separately, Law and Human Rights Ministry spokesman Goncang Rahardjo could not confirm whether Yasonna would recommend Romli as team chairman.

'€œI don'€™t know because the President has yet to issue a presidential decree on the team'€™s establishment,'€ Goncang said recently.

After a meeting with Jokowi at the State Palace on Thursday, Yasonna said the government would establish an independent team tasked with seeking replacements for the current batch of KPK leaders, who will complete their tenures in December.