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New lawmakers hint at pressing on with controversial bills
Should the new members of the House of Representatives decide to move forward with revising the controversial laws, civil groups call on them to further deliberate provisions deemed problematic.
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Members of the House of Representatives and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) pose for photos at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta after their inauguration ceremony on Oct. 1. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
T
he newly inaugurated House of Representatives members are planning to continue deliberation of the revision of laws left unfinished during the 2019-2024 term. This includes the controversial revision of regulations governing the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI), much to the concern of civil groups.
On Tuesday, 580 House lawmakers, more than half of whom were incumbent members, were inaugurated in Jakarta, marking the start of their tenure for the 2024-2029 period.
While claiming it was still too early to discuss the legislative body’s plan for the next five years, lawmaker Ahmad Doli Kurnia of the Golkar Party said that the revision process of the Police and TNI laws would continue.
“I believe the law revisions that were not finished in the previous period will be continued in this term,” said Doli, who chaired House Commission II overseeing home affairs in the previous term.
The government gave a greenlight in June for the House to start formal deliberations to revise the TNI and Police laws. But both bills drew strong opposition from critics who claimed that the proposed revisions would enable both forces to abuse their authority and facilitate the military’s return to civilian affairs.
The House Legislation Body (Baleg) eventually postponed the process for both revisions in late August, stopping short of explaining the reason. The body chair Wihadi Wiyanto of the Gerindra Party later said in August that the House was still weighing the urgency of revising the two laws and waiting for the problem inventory list (DIM) from the government.
Troubling laws
