Police Headquarters Reluctant to Comment on Police Chief Nomination

Jakarta (Antara) -- The National Police Headquarters is unwilling to comment on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo nominating Commissioner General Budi Gunawan to be the next national police chief, replacing General Sutarman. "The police chief has explained that replacement of the national police chief is the authority and prerogative of the president," a spokesman for the police, Insp. Gen. Ronny F Sompie, said in an SMS to Antara on Saturday. He added that the replacement of the police chief was needed to improve the performance of the police personnel. "This is aimed at improving their performance and for the betterment of police in the future," he noted. President Jokowi recently decided to nominate Commissioner General Budi Gunawan as a candidate for the post of the country's next national police chief to replace the current chief, General Sutarman. He proposed the name for approval from the parliament. In his letter to the parliament dated January 9, 2015, Jokowi, who is a member of the PDIP, affirmed that Gunawan was capable and met the requirements to be appointed the national police chief. "We hope the House of Representatives approve him," he stated. (*)