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AKARTA: House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie has asked Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD to back up his accusation against legislators of committing graft during the lawmaking process.

Marzuki said that he spoke with Mahfud about the issue and was told that Mahfud’s statement was made in an academic forum when he delivered a lecture at a university. The House speaker, however, called the statement “political”.

Arwani Thomafi, a lawmaker from the United Development Party (PPP), said that Mahfud had attacked the House and government as institutions responsible for enacting legislation.

“What kind of data did he use to say such a thing?” Marzuki said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Speaking at a seminar on Tuesday, Mahfud outlined what he said were the reasons why legislation in the country was corrupt, including the practice of “selling” articles of certain bills to stakeholders.

The Constitutional Court annulled a number of laws produced by the House for breaching the Constitution. This fact, Mahfud argued, highlighted the quality of lawmaking in the country.