Police Bill: 4-year term for Kompolnas, extended once for a period

ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya)

JAKARTA - The Working Committee Meeting (Panja) of the Draft Law on Amendments to Law Number 2 of 2002 concerning the National Police agreed that the term of office of members of the Kompolnas is four years and can be extended once.

The agreement was reached in discussing the list of inventory of problems (DIM) of the National Police Bill regarding the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) between Commission III of the DPR and government representatives in the DPR building, Jakarta, Monday, June 8.

"DIM 104: members of the National Police Commission hold office for four years and can be re-elected only for one term," said Deputy Minister of Law Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej as quoted by ANTARA.

Before being tapped, the provisions related to the term of office of Kompolnas members had sparked debate. There was a proposal that Kompolnas membership would only be five years and could not be extended.

"Kompolnas is attached to the President. The President is a five-year term. If the President is re-elected, yes, but if the President is different, he will run again, it will be strange. He is the President's tool," said the Chairman of Commission III of the DPR, Habiburokhman.

Head of the Legal Division (Kadivkum) of the National Police, Inspector General. Pol. Agus Nugroho explained that the extension of the term of Kompolnas was based on Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 17 of 2011 concerning Kompolnas.

"There it was stated that it was indeed four years, but when this forum will be changed, adjusted to the term of office of the President, as I said, we think it is not a problem," he said.

Meanwhile, Eddy explained the reason for the regulation of the term of office of Kompolnas members for four years and can be re-elected for one term is to be equal to the term of office of members of the Prosecutor's Commission.

According to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, this is also to avoid the perception of discrimination between state institutions if the Police Bill that has been enacted is tested by the Constitutional Court.

However, he admitted that the regulation was not regulated in the Indonesian Attorney General's Law. Eddy also emphasized the norms of the articles related to the term of office of members of state institutions as open legal policies.

Responding to this, Habib said that the term of office for positions that are not chosen by the people should be regulated in such a way that state institutions are not merely a place to find jobs for certain individuals.

"This position that is not elected by the people, not elected through elections, we avoid what is called job seeker. People are too comfortable. So, how? Do you want to compare or what?" Habib asked another legislator.

"Why should we look at it because the four prosecutor's commissions, we have to be four? If I stay five years, but only once [period]," said member of Commission III Adang Daradjatun in response to Habib.

However, in the end, the legislator agreed with the government's proposal, after the Deputy Chairman of Commission III of the House of Representatives, Moh. Ranold Alfath, stated that a four-year term and one extension period would not cause problems.

"This is actually no problem, the principle is four years and can be elected. There is the word 'can'. If the performance is good, it is considered to be able to be elected again. If not, yes, it is not elected again. That's all," he said.

In the meeting, the membership of Kompolnas was also approved to be appointed and dismissed by the President.