Considering the track records of the newly elected commissioners of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) by the House of Representatives'€™ Commission III that oversees legal affairs, anticorruption activists are doubting their independence and, therefore, their commitment to the fight against corruption.

'€œI am also worried about the new KPK members. There are [among the elected commissioners], those whose independence, capabilities and stances [on corruption eradication] are doubtful,'€ Gadjah Mada University'€™s Anticorruption Study Center (Pukat) advocacy director Once Madril told kompas.com on Friday.

House Commission III on Thursday elected five new commissioners: Alexander Marwata, Agus Raharjo, Basaria Panjaitan, Laode Muhammad Syarif and Thony Saut Situmorang. Later the commission elected Agus as the KPK chairman. The commission nixed the two favorite candidates: acting KPK commissioner Johan Budi and incumbent Busyro Muqqodas.

Agus is a former manager of the National Procurement Agency (LKPP), Alexander is former Jakarta Corruption Court ad hoc judge, Basaria is a police inspector general, Laode is a law professor at the Makassar-based Hasanudin University and Saut is an expert at the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Meanwhile, former KPK member and adviser Andullah Hehamahua expressed hope about Agus Rahardjo, but he did not know the capability and independence of the four other newly elected members. '€œI hope that his experience in the LKPP could be used to fight corruption in the procurement of goods and services in the government'€™s agencies,'€ he added.

But when asked about the four other members, he said that '€œIndonesia's future is in the dark'€ because the elections of the KPK commissioners were based on '€œpolitical deals'€. '€œI do not know them, so I do not know their commitment,'€ he added.

Once said that the stances and independence of respective commissioners to corruption eradication are strongly affected by the backgrounds of their respective organizations.

According to Once, the answers of each candidates during the interviews by members of Commission III, which is officially called the '€œfit and proper tests'€, indicates a lack of independence among the elected members of the KPK.

He added that their response showed they had not been able to separate the interests of their organizations and the functions of the KPK commissioners.

'€œFor example, Alexander Marwata frequently gave dissenting opinions against corruption cases. If he still has similar views in handling corruption, is he really deserved to become KPK commissioner?'€ asked Once, who also questioned Basaria'€™s courage to fight corruption in the National Police.

Meanwhile, President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo is reluctant to comment on the election of the five KPK members. '€œThey have not even started to work. Don'€™t comment on them. If they have started to work, we could criticize or give input to them,'€ Jokowi said.

The President, however, said he appreciated the decision of Commission III to elect the new KPK commissioners. (bbn)(+)

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