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JAKARTA. State Secretary Pratikno refused on Tuesday to reveal why new President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is still yet to appoint a new attorney general.
Contrary to the tradition of his predecessors, Jokowi kept the post of attorney-general empty during Monday's inauguration of his new Cabinet, raising speculation that the President was still being fiercely lobbied by rival candidates for the position.
"No, not yet," Pratikno said on Tuesday morning when asked why Jokowi had yet to name the new attorney general.
Jokowi, who is reportedly still seeking opinions from his ministers, including the new Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and the new Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, is set to hold a meeting with Yasonna on Tuesday afternoon.
Several figures have been tipped for the new attorney general post, including two names within the AGO, deputy attorney general Andhi Nirwanto and junior attorney general for special crimes Widyo Pramono, and outsiders such as Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) chief Muhammad Yusuf, former law and human rights minister Hamid Awaluddin and former judicial mafia taskforce member Mas Achmad Santosa.
Previously, antigraft NGO the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) called on Jokowi not to give the position to NasDem Party politician HM Prasetyo.
Fearing that Prasetyo might create a conflict of interest, ICW said Prasetyo, a lawmaker, had no outstanding achievements when he was junior attorney general for general crimes in 2006.
Jokowi is also yet to reveal the new National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief.
Candidates for BIN top job are believed to be former BIN deputy chief As’ad Said Ali, former Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) chief Rear Marshal (ret.) Ian Perdanakusuma and current BIN deputy chief Maj. Gen. Erfi Trianussu. (Ina Parlina)
