Lawmakers not helping to end corruption, says ICW

A corruption watchdog has suggested lawmakers’ recent moves to revise the 2002 Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) were attempts to remove the commission's special powers.

“Lawmakers have consistently highlighted KPK wiretapping and investigation authorities as areas that need to be revised. This of course deserves our concern,” Agus Sunaryanto of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said Thursday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

If the lawmakers were genuinely fighting to end corruption then they should help strengthen the KPK rather than remove its current authorities, Agus said.

However, he also warned that the government could block any planned revisions, even if lawmakers pursued their efforts.

“These lawmakers won't be able to do anything if the government refuses to revise the law,” he said.