TEAM-5 HOLDS FIRST MEETING ON KPK CHIEF NOMINEES

Jakarta, Sept. 24 (ANTARA) - Five members of the Commission of Corruption Eradication (KPK) leader selection team here on Thursday held its first meeting to select and recommend names to be nominated as three KPK interim chiefs.

"It's just brainstorming. There is not yet agenda. It's only our first meeting. We are going to discuss what we will do next," Adnan Buyung Nasution, a member of the team concurrently a member of the Presidential adviser Council, said at the office of the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, here on Thursday.

The nominees should be credible, honest and very committed in corruption eradication efforts, he said.

In response to the press question, Nasution said the nominees would include members of the KPK leader selection team.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono formed a team tasked with selecting and recommending names to be nominated as KPK interim chiefs.

The team consists of five people, namely the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, senior lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, Law and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata, former KPK Chairman Taufiqurahman Ruki and legal activist Todung Mulya Lubis.

The head of state had signed a presidential decree on the team's establishment, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS said at a press conference at Halim Perdana Kusuma air force base, after seeing off President Yudhoyono who left for the United States, early Wednesday.

"We have seven days and must report the result to the president on October 1. Tomorrow morning, there will be the first meeting to recommend the names," Minister Widodo said.

The presidential decree was issued to follow up a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) on the appointment of a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) interim chief, which was earlier signed by President Yudhoyono.

A reliable source at the Presidential Palace said here on Tuesday the president signed the Perppu on Monday together with a presidential decree on the suspension of two KPK leaders, Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto.

Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah are two KPK vice chairmen who have been named suspects for abuse of authority while KPK chairman Antasari Azhar is facing prosecution in a murder case.

Minister/State Secretary Hatta Rajasa, meanwhile said, that the names of the recommended KPK chief nominees should be received on October 1 because the president wanted to be present at the swearing in ceremony of new three KPK chiefs on October 2, 2009.