Indonesia's new president chooses minister candidates

Roundup: Indonesia's new president chooses minister candidates, with anti-graft bodies involved in selection process

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JAKARTA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Process to select the eligible candidates for Indonesia's new government was still underway at the moment with Joko Widodo, the new president, remaining tightlipped on the schedule for announcing his cabinet line up.

The minister selection process has won praises from several parties as it involves the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) and Financial Transaction Analysis and Reporting Center (PPATK), the two state institutions noted for pushing the nation's anti- corruption drive.

Such a move was the first to have been applied in the country.

President Widodo had submitted 43 candidates for ministers to KPK and discussed the issue with KPK officials last week. The KPK was asked to check those candidates' past records for possible involvement in graft cases.

Meanwhile, the PPATK had yet to disclose results of their probe into the origin of wealth obtained by the candidates.

President Joko Widodo said that he had summoned all those candidates for further interviews.

"I had summoned them all, the process lasted until 3.00 a.m. in the morning," the president said on Tuesday.

The interviews of minister candidates were conducted after President Widodo met with U.S. State Secretary John Kerry.

President Widodo, however, declined to disclose names of those candidates as well as the schedule of his cabinet announcement. He said that the announcement would be made as soon as possible.

The president has allocated 34 ministerial posts in his cabinet, with 18 taken by professionals, while the remaining 16 were allocated for officials of political parties supporting his government.

Under the existing law, Indonesia's new president is given a maximum period of 14 days to announce the cabinet lineup after being sworn-in as the president.

Candidates for ministers widely speculated by the media ranged from brand new figures to former ministers and senior officials who served in previous governments.

Among those figures were Rini Soemarno, former trade and industry minister in former President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration, former Central Bank Governor Darmin Nasution and the incumbent official Agus Martowardoyo.

Sri Mulyani, former finance minister in former President Yudoyono's government who now serves as World Bank managing director, was also expected to become one of President Widodo's ministers.