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PDI-P, Komnas HAM at loggerheads over KPK civic test controversy
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National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Choirul Anam (second left) talks to journalists in Jakarta on May 24 after receiving a report from senior Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan (left) and other employees pertaining to the civic knowledge tests for the antigraft body's employees. The KPK dismissed 51 employees for failing the civic tests, which were part of a mandatory transition to civil servant employment status. (Antara/M. Risyal Hidayat)
T
he ruling Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has called on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to ignore the National Human Rights Commission’s (Komnas HAM) summons over the antigraft body’s attempts to remove senior KPK investigators.
KPK leaders failed to answer on Tuesday the first summons issued by Komnas HAM as part of its ongoing investigation into the organizing of controversial civic knowledge tests. The probe came after a group of KPK employees who failed the tests reported the KPK leaders to Komnas HAM for allegedly violating their human rights when organizing the tests between March and April.
The tests contained several questions that allegedly discriminated against certain races and religious beliefs. Some 75 KPK workers failed the tests, 24 of whom were retained but required to attend civic education training before being inaugurated as civil servants.
PDI-P politician Kapitra Ampera said summoning the KPK leaders was beyond Komnas HAM’s authority and therefore he supported the KPK leaders in refusing to meet with the rights body.
“Komnas HAM does not have the right to summon the KPK chairman [Firli Bahuri]. The KPK should ignore the summons because it [the issue] is not within the jurisdiction [of Komnas HAM],” Kapitra said on Wednesday as quoted by tribunnews.com.
He said Komnas HAM’s authority, under Law No. 26/2000 on the Human Rights Court, was only to investigate matters related to gross human rights violations, saying that the organizing of the civic knowledge tests could not be categorized as a gross violation of human rights.
Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, who is also a PDI-P member, echoed Kapitra’s statement before lawmakers on Tuesday, saying that he supported the KPK leaders.
