Jokowi to appoint new BIN chief

JAKARTA. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is slated to soon appoint a new chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to replace Lt. Gen. (ret.) Marciano Norman.

Charles Honoris, a member of the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing information, defense and foreign affairs, said in Jakarta on Thursday that the President should use his power wisely in replacing the BIN chief because the position was crucial in terms of defense, security and political stability.

“In this matter, the President has his prerogative and it should use it wisely by selecting a qualified and loyal person who has a similar vision to his program on the country’s better future. I am sure all sides will respect the President’s prerogative rights but that should be used wisely to avoid any polemic in society,” he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He said the President was expected to select a qualified and loyal person to occupy the strategic job.

A number of names have been raised to occupy the position, including two politicians from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Andreas Hugo Pareira and Tubagus Hasanuddin, along with political and military analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, former Indonesian Military (TNI) deputy commander Fachrul Razi and former deputy defense minister Safrie Sjamsuddin.