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Sexual violence bill remains on back burner despite House’s end-of-term rush
Despite their zeal for passing controversial bills before the end of the House term, lawmakers have continued to overlook a draft bill that would help protect women from violence.
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An array of flower boards stand at the front gate of the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta recently, carrying messages calling on lawmakers to pass the sexual violence bill that would offer protection for women. (JP/Angie Angela)
W
hile the House of Representatives has accelerated the deliberation of controversial bills, little progress has been made in the deliberation of the much anticipated sexual violence bill (RUU PKS) that has been stalled for two years.
Lawmakers in House Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs and the government agreed to establish a joint team on Wednesday to synchronize the problem inventory list (DIM) submitted by both parties in the draft.
According to coordinators of the bill’s working committee Vennetia Ryckerens Danes from the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and lawmaker Marwan Dasoppang of the National Awakening Party (PKB), by having held 40 meetings since 2017, three main clusters of the bill have been resolved: sexual violence prevention, rehabilitation and protection, leaving only a cluster on criminal provisions.
“Given the result of the meetings, we actually could speed up the process to within only 24 hours. We could do the best, but it takes two to tango. The government needs a counterpart," Vennetia said on Wednesday after a meeting with lawmakers.
House Speaker Bambang Soesatyo said on Thursday that given the little time remaining in the current House term, it was impossible for the current batch of lawmakers to pass the bill into law, and that it would be a matter for next term’s lawmakers, who will be inaugurated on Oct. 1.
“I’ve coordinated with the coordinators of the working committee. There is not enough time as there are still many problems with the bill,” he said.
Lawmakers from Islam-based parties, such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the PKB, have strongly opposed the bill from the outset, and have ordered the government to make sure the articles do not overlap with the postponed Criminal Code bill, especially those that concern rape and forced abortion, and have argued the deliberation of the bill should, therefore, continue only if the revised Criminal Code is passed as law.
