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espite its pledge to conduct a transparent selection process, the committee tasked to select Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioners hopes the public will not publicly criticize the 194 candidates who passed the first stage of the process.

The team spokesperson, Betti S. Alisjahbana said on Sunday that criticizing the candidates by revealing any confidential information about the candidates in the media would not only be ineffective but could also lead to defamation.

Betti said the selection team could be held responsible if any of the candidates filed a defamation report to the police, if they felt that criticism made in the media about their track records was offensive.

'€œIt is not part of our responsibility [to tell the candidates not to respond to public statements in the media]. That'€™s why [it is better] not to talk to the media because we have already provided a special hotline for the public to send us their opinions regarding the candidates at capimkpk.setneg.go.id,'€ Betti told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Betti said the team would keep all public criticism of the candidates posted on capimkpk.setneg.go.id confidential in a move to protect the privacy of the 194 candidates. '€œAll criticism posted online will only be read by the team members,'€ she said.

The selection team announced on Sunday that 194 candidates had made it to the second round of selection.

Among the well-known candidates who passed the first round on Friday are former Constitutional Court (MK) chief justice Jimly Asshidiqie, Judicial Commission commissioner Imam Anshori Saleh, United Development Party politician Ahmad Yani, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende, KPK acting commissioner Johan Budi as well as KPK prosecutor Yudi Kristiana.

'€œWe'€™ll wait for the public to send us their criticism or comments on the 194 candidates until Aug. 3,'€ Betti said.

In addition, on Friday the team posted the names of the 194 people, who were screened from a total of 611 candidates in the first round of the selection process, on the State Secretary Office'€™s website.

The team only provides names and address of the candidates without giving any background information. In the selection process for the current batch of KPK commissioners during then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono'€™s administration, the KPK selection team provided details of identities on each candidate who passed the first round of selection.

Betti defended the committee'€™s careful handling of candidates'€™ backgrounds saying '€œthere was no ulterior motive behind the move.'€

One of the candidates who moved to the second round, Imam of the Judicial Commission urged the team to allow members of the public to criticize the 194 candidates through conventional media outlets and social media.

'€œI have no problem with it. If I am being criticized through the media then the team can ask me for clarification. I am ready to face any criticism. As long it is not slander, go ahead share the information with the public,'€ Imam told the Post on Sunday.

The selection team, which was established by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo in May, will select five new commissioners from the 194 candidates to replace the current KPK leaders whose tenures wrap up in December.

It will propose eight final candidates to the President, who will submit the names to the House of Representatives for deliberation later this year.

The eight will join two candidates picked by a selection team set up under Yudhoyono'€™s administration last year: former KPK commissioner Busyro Muqoddas and Cabinet Secretariat international relations division head Robby Arya.