TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has finally taken firm steps.
The President handed announced Commissioner General Tito Karnavian as the sole candidate for Chief of the Indonesian National Police to the House of Representatives (DPR).
The public has been waiting for Jokowi’s decision and the President seemed to be facing with two difficult options.
First, he has to extend the term of office of the current National Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti who has reached retirement age.
Second, he has to choose a new police chief of the candidates proposed by the Board of High Ranks and Titles (Wanjakti) of the National Police.
By choosing the first option, which is extending the working period Badrodin, Jokowi will violate Law Number 2 of 2002 on the Police and Government Regulation No. 1 of 2003 on Termination Police.
Both rules mentioned that limit of the retirement age can be maintained until the age of 60 years for members of the police who have specialized expertise and are much needed in the task force.
As for the second option, which is choosing the candidate who are offered Wanjakti, he will create controversy.
Candidates who should be selected by Jokowi are among others Deputy Police Commissioner General Budi Gunawan and Head of the National Narcotics Agency Commissioner General Budi Waseso. Both are touted to have the most powerful supports in parliament.
Jokowi finally chose Tito Karnavian, who is currently Head of the National Agency for Combating Terrorism.
Tito was one of the names proposed by the National Police Commission because he was considered one of the three most outstanding candidates.
He was awarded the Star Adhi Makayasa as the best graduate of the Police Academy in 1987 and Star Force Wiyata Scholar as the best graduates of Higher Education Police Science.
Tito was also the best graduate in Staff and Management School and High Level National Defense Institute.
According Badrodin, Tito had rejected the proposal to be elected as the police chief.
The reason he claimed was that in the ranks of senior police officers who now holds the rank of three-star, he is the most junior.
Tito is an alumnus of the Police Academy class of 1987. There are four forces on it which are actually likely to be the Chief of Police, namely 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986.
Tito’s professionalism was beyond doubt.
He has achieved various achievement while carrying positions, among others, arresting criminals and hunted down fugitive Soewondo Tommy Soeharto when he became Chief of the General Investigation Unit of Jakarta Metro Police.
He also reveals the terrorist network Azahari while serving in the Special Detachment 88 Antiterror and led the crackdown of terrorist bombings in the region M.H. Thamrin, Jakarta, on January 14 while serving as Jakarta police chief.
If he passes the fit and proper test in the House next week and is installed a new police chief, Tito should execute the mandate and the trust in as good as way possible.
With his ability and intelligence, Tito is considered to solve various problems in the police institution, especially to improve the professionalism of the police.
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