REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A lawmaker said the House of Representatives (DPR) has returned the political heat to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) over the controversial candidacy of Comr.Gen. Budi Gunawan.
The Parliament in a plenary session on Thursday approved the president's choice of the three star police general to replace outgoing police chief Gen. Sutarman.
The candidacy of Budi Gunawan triggered big controversy after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) charged him with corruption.
"We used the Taichi style to return the hot ball to Jokowi. If Jokowi would go ahead to install Budi Gunawan, he would confront KPK, if he did not we would call for interpellation as it would be an insult to the Parliament," Commission III lawmaker of the Geridra faction Desmond J Mahesa said here on Thursday (15/1).
Desmond said Jokowi has played game with politics, adding, if he is sensitive enough he should cancel the candidacy of Budi Gunawan earlier.
"Here Jokowi wants to kick the hot ball to DPR. Here we are also playing political game. We just return (the political heat)," he said.
He said he was surprised to see that when KPK named Budi Gunawan a suspect, "Gen. Sutarman looked happy and KPK leaders also looked similarly happy."
How come a leader Gen. Sutarman looked happy when a subordinate was named a corruption suspect .
It seems KPK and the police chief knew each other, he said.
He said, however, the charge against Budi Gunawan is not valid as according to the KPK law the charge had to be signed collectively by five KPK leaders, but there are only four of them active.
Budi Gunawan could file a lawsuit with a pre-trial court against KPK and "if the judge is mentally healthy" Budi would won a case, he said.
Jokowi has been warned against attempt to put him in a difficult position over the candidacy of Budi Gunawan.
An academician Frans Bapa Tokan from the Catholic University of Widya Mandira in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, said the unanimous support displayed by the majority factions at Parliament for Budi Gunawan was a political game that would put the president in a bad position.
The Commission III of the Parliament dominated by the Red and White Coalition (KMP) known to be strong opposition to the president, had been united to give approval for the candidate.
Frans said President Joko Widodo is politically entrapped by his political foe.
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