House Approves Budi Gunawan as Indonesian Police Chief

    Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The House of Representatives' (DPR) plenary session here Thursday approved Commissioner General Budi Gunawan as the Indonesian Police Chief to replace General Sutarman after the House leaders met with heads of all factions.

        "In the lobby session, the approval is made by considering the result of Budi Gunawan's fit and proper test," the DPR Deputy Speaker Taufik Kurniawan said.

        The approval was hinted by the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP), Golkar Party, Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), National Awakening Party (PKB), National Democrat (NasDem) Party, People's Conscience (Hanura) Party and United Development Party (PPP) factions.

         However, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Democratic Party (PD) factions proposed that the DPR plenary session for deciding fate of Coms.Gen Budi Gunawan be delayed and the House leaders consult it with President Joko Widodo.

         The Democratic Party faction's member, Benny K.Harman, said the appointment of Coms.Gen Budi Gunawan as the national police chief would damage Indonesia's history because it firstly happened in the country.

         Budi Gunawan has recently been nominated by President Joko Widodo as the sole candidate for the post of national police chief.

         However, the antigraft body named him a suspect of corruption case on Tuesday or a day before he met with members of the House's Commission III for a fit and proper test.

         The members of the House's commission overseeing law and human rights concluded that Budi passed the fit and proper test for filling the police chief post but the House's final decision about his fate was made through the plenary session.

         Benny K.Harman said Budi Gunawan's status would make him fail to get the people's trust.

         "Thus, what we need to do now is further studying and clarifying the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) allegation," he said adding that incumbent Police Chief General Sutarman could remain in his post until the clarification was done.

         Harman said if the House and President Joko Widodo ignored the KPK's decision, the images of both the House and the presidency would be ruined on the eyes of the people because they were perceived to have withdrawn their support for eradicating corruption. (WDY)