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House delays Constitutional Court bill after government pulls support
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Nine Constitutional Court justices preside over a hearing in this file photo. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he House of Representatives has backtracked on a plan to amend the 2003 Constitutional Court Law this sitting period after the government declined to sign the bill amid public criticism that the changes could allow lawmakers to unduly influence the judiciary, which has the authority to rule on election disputes.
House Commission III overseeing legal affairs had expected the bill to be passed in the last plenary session of the sitting period on Tuesday. But the government refused to sign the bill, citing transitional provisions that called for justices to be evaluated by their appointing institutions as a deal-breaker.
House Speaker Puan Maharani of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the postponement would allow commission members and the government to find common ground on the proposed revisions.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD, who, along with Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly of the PDI-P, represented the government in the discussions, told the press on Monday that the revision should not be detrimental to sitting justices.
Commission III will resume the discussions with the government sometime after the House returns from recess on Jan. 16, with chairman Bambang Wuryanto of the PDI-P saying on Tuesday, “I'm sure Mahfud will agree eventually.”
Observers had criticized lawmakers for rushing to formulate the bill behind closed doors and pass it less than three months before the 2024 general election.
Deal-breaker
