The Indonesian House of Representatives for the 2019-2024 period will soon end its term of office on September 30, 2024. Even though it is nearing the end of its term of office, the DPR for this period has actually accelerated the discussion of a number of controversial bills, which have the potential to damage democracy, the rule of law, and violate the constitution.
The Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial) sees several problematic bills that need to be stopped from being discussed and ratified, including the Regional Election Bill, Broadcasting Bill, Revision of the National Police Law, Revision of the TNI Law and the Wantimpres Bill and other problematic bills.
Imparsial assessed that the discussion of the Pilkada Bill which violates the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling regarding the rules on age limits and requirements for party support for regional head candidates is a form of the DPR’s reckless political attitude in legislation at the end of its term of office which will soon end.
“The DPR’s move is clearly a form of defiance of the Constitution and is full of ambitions for power. This damages the rule of law and threatens democratic life in Indonesia,” Deputy Director Ardi Manto Adiputra, through a statement received, Sunday (25/8/2024).
The DPR and the current government must not create problematic laws that will have a serious impact on the life of a democratic country, a country based on the rule of law, and human rights in the future.
Moreover, the discussion of the bill was carried out in a rushed, closed manner, and without meaningful absorption of public aspirations.
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“Of course, the laws that will be produced will be very far from the public interest and will only serve the interests of a handful of elite power groups,” said Ardi.
The DPR and the government are also forcing the discussion of a number of other problematic bills, including the revision of the TNI Law, the revision of the Polri Law, the revision of the Broadcasting Law, and the bill on Wantimpres which will revive the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) which was previously dissolved by the 1998 Reform movement.
“The forced discussion of a number of revisions to the laws/drafts is very strongly influenced by the interests of the power elite and certain groups and not in the interests of the people,” said Ardi.
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The revision of the TNI Law, for example, will provide ample space for active TNI members to occupy various civilian positions, remove the ban on TNI members doing business, and provide law enforcement authority to the Indonesian Army.
Likewise, the National Police Bill provides the authority to wiretap without first having to obtain permission from the chief justice.
In addition, the Pilkada Bill will also revive articles that have been annulled by the Constitutional Court. These bills are aimed at the interests of perpetuating the power of a handful of elites and groups in this country and not for the benefit of the people.
Based on the above, Imparsial urges the Government, the Indonesian House of Representatives, and political party leaders to stop all discussion processes of the problematic bill, because apart from its substance, it will damage democracy, the rule of law, violate the Constitution, and strongly smell of the interests of political elites.
“Procedurally, it has also ignored the constitutional rights of citizens to be heard and participate meaningfully in the policy-making process,” said Ardi. (Try/P-3)
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