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Jakarta. Lawmakers from the House of Representatives suggested on Monday that they were so impressed with the quality of the remaining seven candidates competing to become chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, it was “too bad” they could only elect one.

The government selection committee tasked with finding the next chairman for the antigraft commission, known as the KPK, declared earlier that it would announce the names of the final two candidates on August 14.

The final seven candidates include Judicial Commission chairman M Busyro Muqoddas, former presidential adviser Jimly Asshiddiqie, Regional Representative Council member I Wayan Sudirta, prosecutor Sutan Bagindo Fachmi, former Central Java police chief Chairul Rasyid, top international lawyer Melli Darsa and top KPK legal adviser Bambang Widjojanto .

“All seven have real credibility in the eyes of the public, and it is too bad that we can only select one of them,” House Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung, from the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.

“We will coordinate this issue within the PDI-P – why not select five people from the seven names? We have really good people in the list. We have Melli Darsa and Bambang Widjojanto. Both are known to international audiences.”

All seven are scheduled to be screened even further by the House Commission III overseeing legal affairs via a fit and proper test, before the final two names are announced on Aug. 14.

“The person or persons who end up leading the commission must be absolutely clean because the KPK needs its independence to be unimpeachable by anybody,” Pramono said.

Justice Minister Patrialis Akbar, who heads the selection committee tasked to find the next KPK chairman, earlier said that more information on each candidate was still needed from the Attorney General’s Office, the National Police and the State Intelligence Agency in regard to backgrounds, political ties and track records.

Deputy chairman of Commission III Tjatur Sapto Edy from the National Mandate Party, or PAN, said that even though the track records of the candidates were fantastic, choosing more than one person in the end would violate existing regulations.

“By law, only one name can be picked from the two final candidates proposed by the selection committee. The committee must be true to the law, which states that only if KPK commissioners resign or are unable to carry out their duties can the government fill the vacant post,” Tjatur said.

The government committee will submit two names to the House as possible replacements for Antasari Azhar, the former KPK chairman who is serving an 18-year prison sentence for the March 2009 murder of businessman Nasrudin Zulkarnaen.

The house will then choose one.

“The new KPK chairman will only remain in the position for a year, as Antasari’s term is scheduled to finish next year,” Tjatur said.

“However, if we see that both the final candidates are good, we could consider the person not picked as a spare candidate and recommend him or her for the 2011-2015 period. We are not working based on anything else but the law. We do not want to be implicated with legal problems.”

Lawmaker Ahmad Yani from the United Development Party (PPP) said that he too was impressed with the seven candidates and their track records.

“We could ask the existing four KPK commissioners to resign, since two of them [Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto] are already implicated with legal process.

“That way we could get more new candidates in the roster,” Ahmad said.

Separately, Ray Rangkuti from the Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition (Kompak) said he believed that all seven candidates were good, but he had a caveat: “Never pick anyone with police or prosecutors background.”

Meet the 7 candidates:

Judical Commission Chairman M Busyro Muqoddas

Busyro began his career in 1983 as Legal Aid director and adviser at the law school of Indonesia Islamic University (UII). He served as one of the deputy deans for the UII Law School from 1986 to 1990. His term as Judicial Commission chairman ends this year.

Former presidential adviser Jimly Asshiddiqie

Jimly led the Constitutional Court between 2003-2008. The former constitutional law professor from the University of Indonesia resigned from the presidential advisory team to run for KPK chairman.

Leading international lawyer Melli Darsa

Having practiced in Indonesia since 1990, Melli was accepted by the New York State Bar Association in 1996, allowing her to practice law in the state. Once deputy chief of the education division at the Capital Market Legal Counsel Association (HKHPM), the 44-year-old is the youngest candidate in the field.

KPK legal adviser Bambang Widjojanto

A lecturer for Trisakti University in Jakarta, the legal adviser for the KPK was once on the ethics board of Indonesian Corruption Watch. He has served as an attorney for Jakarta Legal Aid and was once a director for Jayapura Legal Aid in Papua. He had also been legal adviser at the Jakarta High Court in 2002.

Regional Representatives Council member for Bali, I Wayan Sudirta

The 60-year-old former Bali legislator serves as adviser to the Indonesian Advocate Union (Peradi) as well as Bali Corruption Watch. He is currently coordinator of legal advisers for the Regional Representatives Council.

Former Central Java Police Chief Chairul Rasyid

The 61-year-old former police official served in a number of top police posts, including as Central Java Police Chief, West Kalimantan Police Chief and Aceh Police Chief, as well as running the Police Academy.

Federal prosecutor Sutan Bagindo Fachmi

Sutan has held a number of top positions within the Attorney General’s Office, including as assistant for special crimes division at the North Sumatra Prosecutor’s Office and director of economy and finance at the Intelligence Division of the AGO.