GOVT TO NAME ACTING KPK CHIEF

Jakarta, Sept 22 (ANTARA) - Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi said here on Tuesday the government was still preparing the draft of the presidential decree for the appointment of an acting Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief.

The decision would be issued following the signing of a presidential decree in lieu of law (Perppu) on a change of Law Number 30 of 2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday.

Sudi said after a meeting at the state secretariat that the Perppu had been officially enacted and put in the state gazette.

"Yes, it has. But authorization is in the state secretariat," he said without further elaboration.

Sudi said following the signing of the Perppu by the president a presidential decree was now being prepared with regard to the appointment of acting KPK leaders to replace those detained in connection with legal cases.

"It is still being formulated," he said.

He said the draft decision was expected to be finished on Tuesday. After the meeting at the state secretariat Sudi and Minister/State Secretary Hatta Radjasa would leave for the residence of the head of state in Cikeas, Bogor, West Java, to report the draft presidential decision.

Based on the Perppu the head of state is authorized to name acting KPK leaders in case of a vacancy.

The Perppu among other things states about leadership vacancy, authority to name acting officials and tenure of the acting officials.

President Yudhoyono said he issued the Perppu so that he could name acting officials to fill the vacancies in the KPK to assure continued operation of the agency. He said he feared the KPK could not function well as it was now only led by two officials.

Three of five KPK officials have so far been named suspects by the police namely Antasari Azhar in connection with a murder case of businessman Nasrudin Zulkarnaen, Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto in connection with power abuse relating to the issuance of a travel ban for businessmen Anggoro Widjojo and Djoko Tjandra.***1***
T.D013