New Indonesian President Joko Widodo has postponed the announcement of his cabinet because he is having all of his potential candidates vetted first by the country's Anti-Corruption Committee (KPK).
At a press conference in Jakarta Tuesday, Widodo, who was sworn in on Monday, told reporters that he has submitted names to the committee and would wait for them to be cleared before officially naming his cabinet.
“It should be this way," he said, adding, "after all, what’s the purpose of having KPK and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (PPATK).”
Widodo, the former Jakarta governor who is widely known as Jokowi, made combatting corruption a key part of his campaign for the presidency.
This is the first time in the country's history that an incoming president has submitted his cabinet list for clearance by the KPK.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi says vetting is a new tradition and there is no guarantee that a minister who is selected won’t be involved in a corruption case after taking office.
"Indeed among the names that were submitted by President Jokowi to the leaders of KPK, some were already marked with notations on their track records," Johan Budi said. "This is a new tradition and the president should be appreciated for pioneering this tradition. However, it shouldn’t be assumed that this would mean a 100 percent guarantee that the submitted names are not part of any corruption case."Newspaper reports say the president has already crossed off the names of candidates with possible problems after submitting them to the KPK.
This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Indonesian service.
