T

he National Intelligence Agency (BIN) will have difficulty maintaining its independence while carrying out spying activities due to close monitoring by a team of lawmakers that will be established soon.

The House of Representatives Commission I that supervises BIN is close to establishing a team that will be granted the authority to scrutinize the work of the spy agency, which, according to the House, is needed to prevent BIN from misusing its power.

The monitoring team will be made up of representatives from each of the 10 political factions at the legislative institution in addition to the four leaders of Commission I '€” chairman Mahfudz Siddiq of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and his three deputies: Tantowi Yahya of the Golkar Party, Hasril Hamzah Tandjung of the Gerindra Party and Hanafi Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

The establishment of the team is mandated by Law No. 17/2011 on BIN. Article 43 of that law obliges team members to take an oath to keep all information related to the activities carried out by BIN confidential.

In addition to such laws, Commission I, which oversees defense, foreign affairs and informatics, had recently completed an internal regulation that details the role of lawmakers in monitoring the work of BIN particularly regarding cases deemed vital and sensitive in the future, said Commission chief Mahfudz.

'€œThe team will represent the public in thoroughly examining how BIN carries out its work on certain cases in the future in order to prevent the agency from making possible deviations from its function,'€ Mahfudz told the press on Monday.

Mahfudz did not specify the category of cases in which lawmakers could be involved, citing the unresolved murder of prominent human rights defender Munir Said Thalib as an example to highlight the kinds of cases carried out by BIN that would allow for House interference.

In order to ensure politicians involved in the team uphold secrecy, Commission I will require political factions at the House propose permanent representatives that will remain in the team despite changes of their assignment until the end of the current House term in 2019.

'€œIt is important to make sure that although the factions will reassign their respective members involved in the team among the 11 commissions at the House, they will remain members of the monitoring team until the end of their terms as lawmakers. They will also be sworn to keep whatever they learn during the job confidential,'€ Mahfudz emphasized.

Commission I is expected to present the monitoring team, which will be the first ever in the history of BIN, in the next plenary meeting for approval, during which the House is also expected to approve the nomination of Sutiyoso as new BIN chief succeeding Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman.

Commenting on the matter, Marciano, who attended a closed-door meeting with Commission I on Monday, applauded the House'€™s plan but called for the House to not overrule the spy agency.

'€œNo matter what, BIN must be given the independence to carry out its work,'€ he said.

The establishment of such a monitoring team however has evinced criticism from the country'€™s spy godfather AM Hendropriyono. '€œWho will supervise the monitoring body?'€

Hendropriyono, a former BIN chief, further expressed his concerns over the future of BIN under the monitoring of an external party like the House, saying that '€œit will put the state'€™s secrets at stake'€.

Former Hanura Party lawmaker and intelligence analyst Susaningtyas Kertopati concurred with Hendropriyono, adding that involving party politicians in scrutinizing BIN would jeopardize the work of the institution.

'€œBIN will be marred by vested interests from parties. BIN must be free from political interests,'€ she said. (saf)