House Awaits President`s Letter on National PoliceChief Candidate

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) is awaiting a letter from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) regarding a candidate for the National Police (Polri) chief, House Speaker Ade Komaruddin said.

"We are waiting for a letter from the president," Komaruddin said after a fast-breaking gathering with the president and leaders of state institutions at the State Palace on Tuesday.

The DPR is still undecided about whether to approve a proposal to extend the term of office of Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti who will enter retirement in July this year or propose a candidate to replace him, he said.

"The DPR has not taken any stand yet. Whether it (the term of office of the National Police chief) will be extended is the authority of the president to decide. The DPR will only discuss the candidate the president will propose," he said.

He said the DPR will still have time to discuss candidates for the Polri chief and conduct a fit and proper test on them if the president proposes candidates to replace General Badrodin Haiti as National Police chief. 

"I think we still have time. We believe what the president will do," he said.

Under the police law, Haiti will reach retirement age of 58 in July 2016.

Some three-star police generals are widely tipped to replace Haiti. They are Deputy National Police Chief Commissioner General Budi Gunawan who will enter retirement in 2017 and Chief of the National Police Educational Institute Commissioner General Syafruddin who will enter retirement in 2019.

ANTARA