The reasons behind the establishment of the anticorruption commission at the end of the New Order era were the widespread corruption and public distrust in law enforcement.
The embryo of the post-New Order anticorruption spirit was planted when the Public Servants Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) was formed under Law No. 28/1999. The national spirit of fighting against corruption was enshrined in People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree No. XI/MPR/1998 on State Administrators that are Clean and Free of Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism (KKN).
The spirit to establish the anticorruption body is inseparable from the efforts of two central figures, President Abdurrahman Wahid and President Megawati Soekarnoputri. President Megawati signed on 27 Dec. 2002 Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Discussions on the KPK Law had begun under her predecessor, President Abdurrahman Wahid. President B.J. Habibie, the first post-New Order president, had a role in developing the MPR decree, which spurred the nation’s spirit in combating corruption.
The nation should be grateful to these three presidents. Without their great commitment, the KPK would not have been born, nor would it have lasted until this year. We are grateful to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Joko Widodo, who remain committed to maintaining the existence of the KPK.
The KPK’s raison d\'être is the rise of corruption and the level of distrust in law enforcement. The KPK was formed and maintained with this stance and in this spirit until now. The public understands that political support wavers up and down for the KPK. We are currently seeing waning political support for the KPK.
It is this fighting spirit against corruption that the KPK leadership selection committee must recapture. The selection committee has announced 40 candidates for the KPK leadership. The public’s expectations for a better future for the KPK are in the hands of the selection committee. The selection committee has an important role in selecting prospective KPK commissioners. The committee must select only those who truly possess integrity and a track record in eradicating corruption. Individuals suspected of having their own agendas against the KPK should not be included among the leadership candidates.
Why is the stance of the selection committee important? It is because politics will come to dominate the process once the candidates pass the selection committee’s assessment. The public must also understand that political parties are not very supportive of the KPK. The KPK only relies on public support, which has been on the decline, and support from notable NGOs.
The selection committee and President Jokowi can also restore in the KPK the principle that gave it life, that the antigraft body does not represent law enforcement agencies. The composition of the KPK leadership must be adjusted so it can face the major challenges in the fight against the crime of corruption, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Going forward, the prospective KPK leaders must be able to consolidate the commission, including integrating functions within the organization.