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Underperformance, overreach themes for current House, critics say
The current House, which was elected in 2019, has so far passed into law only 20 of the 259 bills proposed during the 2020-2024 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).
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Lawmakers attend a House of Representatives plenary session in Jakarta on March 8, 2021. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
W
ith only 14 months left in its five-year term, it seems that the House of Representatives will be unlikely to meet its legislative targets, with critics highlighting unproductive sessions, opaque deliberations and a brazen overreach that have increasingly become the norm.
In the first half of this year’s sessions, only two legislative items were passed into law by the current House lawmakers: the continental shelf bill in April and the omnibus health bill in July.
This is far below the 19 items on the House’s priority list, which lawmakers and the government are aiming to complete by the end of the year.
The current House, which was elected in 2019, has so far passed into law only 20 of the 259 bills proposed during the 2020-2024 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).
If this slow pace continues, it is unlikely that the House will be able to pass the remaining bills by the end of 2023, according to legislative watchdog the Indonesian Parliament Watch (Formappi).
“The lack of legislative items passed into law shows that the House’s performance is less than optimal; always bombastic in planning but often falling short of targets,” said Formappi executive director I Made Leo Wiratma in a live-streamed press conference on Thursday.
Things are being exacerbated by next year’s general elections. “Lawmakers who are seeking reelection will likely have their hands tied with campaigning,” Made added.
