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Experts call for fewer Komnas HAM commissioners
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) may in future have less commissioners as critics say it is hard to find competent and qualified people for the posts.
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National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chairman M. Imdadun Rahmat (third left) and religion and faith freedom desk coordinator Jayadi Damanik (second right) speak at a press conference in Jakarta on June 30. (JP/Viriya Paramita Singgih)
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) may in future have less commissioners as critics say it is hard to find competent and qualified people for the posts.
Law No. 39 on Komnas HAM stipulates that 35 commissioners should serve the institution—established by former president Soeharto during his New Order regime—but the recruitment team has always failed to fulfill the requirement. Currently, Komnas HAM has 13 commissioners but experts suggest a maximum of nine.
Legal expert and head of the government-sanctioned recruitment team Jimly Asshidiqie told The Jakarta Post that employing 35 commissioners to serve Komnas HAM was “too many” as his team was struggling to find competent candidates.
(Read also: KPK to deepen investigation into Komnas HAM budget case)
“We have proposed fewer commissioners to the government. I have also talked about the matter with President [Joko “Jokowi” Widodo],” he said, adding that his team had proposed between seven and nine commissioners.
Jimly said the selection team would also submit the proposal to lawmakers in order to have the existing law amended next year.
Separately, the deputy chairman of House of Representatives Commission III, overseeing law and human rights, Desmond Mahesa, said Commission III would strongly support such a proposal. “Recruiting more commissioners is only a waste of the state budget because of the obvious lack of work current commissioners have,” he said. (evi)
