The House of Representatives legislative body (Baleg) postponed on Monday the establishment of a working committee on the revision of Law No.30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

'€œInitially, we had to establish the working committee today [Monday],'€ Baleg chief Supratman Andi Agtas said on the sidelines of a meeting held to discuss the formation of the committee at the House complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

'€œDue to the high dynamics of the meeting, we decided to postpone the formation of the meeting scheduled for today,'€ said Supratman, adding that many participants in the meeting called for the postponement.

He said Monday'€™s meeting heard explanations from lawmakers proposing the amendment of the 2002 KPK Law.

Four points highlighted in the KPK Law revision include wiretapping, the establishment of a KPK monitoring council, rules on KPK investigators and the commission'€™s authority to issue investigation termination warrants (SP3).

A House of Representatives member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, Henry Yosodiningrat, said he was worried about wiretapping-related articles in the draft revision.

'€œIf we'€™re clean, why should we fear wiretapping? I wish we could be really consistent. If not, the public will ask for additional things that will eventually tend to weaken the KPK,'€ said Henry during the meeting. He was referring to an article in the draft revision, in which KPK investigators will be prohibited from carrying out wiretapping without approval from the body'€™s monitoring council. Such tighter requirements for wiretapping have been widely perceived as a move to weaken the anti-graft body.

Risa Mariska and Ichsan Soelistio, two PDI-P lawmakers, spoke at the meeting representing 45 fellow lawmakers from six factions, who support the KPK Law revision.

'€œWe don'€™t intend to remove wiretapping from the law but its implementation must be managed and conducted under a permit from the monitoring council,'€ said Risa, adding that the council would consist of KPK staff members.

Supratman said articles in the KPK Law draft revision, including four main points highlighted in the law, might change based on the stance of each faction.

The 45 House members who support the KPK Law amendment comprise 15 PDI-P faction members, 11 members of the NasDem Party faction, nine members of the Golkar Party faction, five members of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, three members of the Hanura Party faction and two members of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction. (ebf)

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