House debates the fate of a safety net bill

The House of Representatives is discussing whether it will deliberate a recently submitted bill, which will annul a government regulation-in-lieu of law on the financial safety net.

If the House decides to deliberate the bill, then it would likely affect the work of the House inquiry committee on the Bank Century bailout, because deliberating the bill would mean that the House acknowledged the legality of the regulation that gives state officials total legal impunity for taking decisions during a crisis.

If the regulation's legal basis is recognized, then no state official can be legally charged for their role in the Bank Century debacle, which revolves around a Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout fund.

One of the committee deputy chairmen, Gayus Lumbuun from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that his party would do its best to prevent the bill from being deliberated.

"Most of the articles in the bill are senseless," he said.

As of now, legislators are in session, entangled in interruptions for House Speaker Marzuki Alie from the Democratic Party.