Jokowi Has To Follow KPK On Cabinet Lineup

News Focus - JOKOWI HAS TO FOLLOW KPK ON CABINET LINEUP By Andi Abdussalam Jakarta, Oct 23 (Antara) - Newly installed President Joko Widodo failed in his plan to announce the lineup of his cabinet on Wednesday as he has to replace some prospective ministers following scrutiny by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, has planned to announce his ministers on Wednesday but the announcement was later delayed. "The names of ministers in the cabinet lineup will soon be announced today, either in the morning or afternoon," President Jokowi said during a friendly gathering with Jakarta provincial administrations officials at the Jakarta governor`s official house in Menteng area on Wednesday morning. Jokowi remarked that the announcement will probably take place at one of several locations such as Pluit, Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, or Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta. "It is serious. We will announce the cabinet lineup today either in Tanah Abang, Tanjung Priok, Pluit, or other location," the newly installed president noted. There is no immediate information as to why the announcement was postponed, yet KPK Chairman Abraham Samad has said ministerial candidates who have got the red and yellow marks were not recommended. President Jokowo`s Transition Team has earlier submitted a list of 43 ministerial candidates to the KPK for studying the track record of those selected. The KPK submitted its view to the President later. In its scrutiny, the anti-graft body gave yellow and red marks to candidates who had the potentials to be implicated in legal cases. "The (implication of) yellow and red marks are the same. The figures whose marks are yellow and red should not be selected as ministers," Samad told journalists in response to the issue of President Joko Widodo`s cabinet lineup. Abraham Samad said he had just come to the Merdeka Palace to explain the meaning of red and yellow marks to the head of state. "Jokowi must show his determination and leadership while selecting personnel for his cabinet structure. This is because about 40 percent of his prospective cabinet ministers are problematic," Ubedilah Badrun, the executive director of the Indonesian Social and Political Study Center (Puspol Indonesia), stated. Ubedillah, who is a lecturer at the Jakarta State University (UNJ), stressed Jokowi must select his ministers from outside the community of capitalists and political party circles. According to him, some 40 percent of the names that Jokowi submitted to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for examinations were given yellow marks by the anti-graft body. They are believed to be problematic in terms of integrity and anti-corruption commitment. Political observer Victor Silaen said President Jokowi should follow the KPK recommendations. "It would be better for Jokowi to name `clean` ministers. He should remember that the KPK is serious about tackling corruption cases," Silaen stated. Jokowi had submitted the list of ministers he wished to appoint in his cabinet to the KPK to have their credibility checked. After looking into their backgrounds, the anti-graft body returned its results to Jokowi. Silaen added that ministers who had been marked red in the KPK examinations would continue to remain in the spotlight of the anti-graft body. He further noted that if Jokowi went ahead and chose ministers that the KPK warned him against, the public could feel misled and assume that Jokowi was not determined to fight against corruption. "Sooner or later, Jowoki would lose the public`s support," he added. According to KPK Chief Abraham Samad, if President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appoints ministers categorized as problematic by the KPK, then his government will not be clean. "It is simple to judge it. The people will judge it unclean if problematic cabinet ministers are appointed, as that will reflect on the government," Samad stated at the KPK building on Wednesday. On Friday (Oct 17), Jokowo`s Transition Team submitted a list of 43 ministerial candidates to the KPK for studying the track record of those selected. "The KPK has an obligation to inform the President about the eligibility of his ministerial candidates. It should be made clear. There should be no grey area in this matter," the KPK chief noted. This means, if KPK`s recommendation is ignored, then it will reject the appointment of the (problematic) ministers. "The KPK`s position is clear, that it will reject those who are problematic," he added. "It will mean the government is not responsive. The KPK`s objective is to give recommendations, so that the people are led by clean leaders with integrity. The public officials of this country should have integrity," he stressed. In the meantime, President Jokowi is reported on Wednesday that he would replace eight prospective ministers in keeping with the recommendation of the antigraft body and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK). Jokowi has also asked the assistance of the PPATK to trace the track records of his prospective ministers. "We have submitted it (the ministerial candidates` names) to the PPATK and KPK, and there are eight names that were not allowed. That is all. I will not mention their names," President Jokowi stated at the State Palace`s yard on Wednesday. President Jokowi declined from informing the press whether the eight names rejected by the KPK belonged to any political parties. He confirmed that the process of replacing the eight ministerial candidates with the new ones is underway. Thus, the planned announcement of cabinet lineup was still postponed on Wednesday.