Maria, who has been lauded for her progressive opinions, particularly regarding women’s rights, will retire on Aug. 13.

The President has received the names of candidates shortlisted by an independent selection committee that he set up to find a replacement for Maria, according to State Secretary Minister Pratikno.  

The three candidates are all women: Enny Nurbaningsih, head of the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s National Law Development Agency (BPHN), Ni'matul Huda, a law professor at Yogyakarta’s Indonesian Islamic University, and Susi Dwi Harijanti, a senior lecturer at Padjadjaran University in Bandung.

Enny, Ni’matul and Susi got the highest scores during interview sessions, the final stage of screening, and have gone through tight screening and beat other six candidates, including three men.

"(The President) will soon choose one, and [the chosen one] will take the oath in front of the President before Maria Farida ends her term,” Pratikno said.

The Constitutional Court was set up in 2003 to protect people's constitutional rights. In recent years, the court has become a battleground for the conservative and progressive forces in the country. (ahw)

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