A Red Carpet for Basaria

Sarifuddin Sudding, a People's Conscience (Hanura) Party politician, cracked a joke last Tuesday during the fit-and-proper test of one of the candidates to head the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Basaria Panjaitan. "Actually, I would like to ask more questions, but I see Trimedya keeps looking at me. He's not even blinking," he said to the laughter of those present at the meeting. Trimedya Panjaitan, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, only smiled weakly when his colleague cracked a joke at his expense.

The suitability test of the retired police officer with the rank of inspector-general was the only one Trimedya fully attended. The deputy chair of the House of Representatives' (DPR) law commission stayed seated throughout the session from the start. That was understandable as Basaria was one of PDI-P's favorite KPK leadership candidates. Trimedya said her track record is clean because she was never made a regional police chief. "She's unblemished," he said.