Anticorruption law review delay affects foreign aid<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said
\non Tuesday that delay in the review of Corruption Law No. 31\/1999
\nmight hamper the disbursement of foreign financial assistance.<\/p>\n
"Members of the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) have
\nsaid that the delay in the deliberation of the review of the
\nanticorruption law did not matter. But, they indicated that it
\nmight affect the disbursement of financial assistance from donor
\ncountries," Yusril told reporters, after attending a security
\ncoordination meeting at the office of the Coordinating Minister
\nfor Political and Security Affairs.<\/p>\n
The draft bill of the anticorruption law, which is expected to
\nprovide legal authorities with draconian powers, was submitted
\nfor deliberation to the House of Representatives in June. The
\nHouse, however, only passed it into law in a plenary session on
\nOct. 23. The law was an amendment of the Corruption Law No. 31
\nissued in 1999.<\/p>\n
Yusril said that he had been pushing for immediate
\ndeliberation of the law's review since June, but the House seemed
\nto be preoccupied with its own agenda. This included the
\nestablishment of the House special committee to investigate the
\nhigh-profile State Logistics Agency (Bulog) case, which
\nimplicated former president Abdurrahman Wahid, and the House
\nmembers' participation in the Special Session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly in July. The Assembly's Special Session led
\nto the dismissal of Abdurrahman from office.<\/p>\n
"It seemed that the House did not have enough time to
\ndeliberate the review of the anticorruption law," he said.<\/p>\n
Yusril added that besides evaluating the government's legal
\nreforms, CGI members would also consider the government's
\nwillingness to combat money laundering and its seriousness in
\nregulating foreign investment.<\/p>\n
"The CGI previously indicated that Indonesia should remain
\ncommitted to three reforms, namely the deliberation of draft laws
\non the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN);
\non money laundering, on investment and on electricity," he said.<\/p>\n
The minister said he expected the House would deliberate the
\nreview of the laws on money laundering, on investment and on
\nelectricity immediately after the recess period was over, which
\nwould be some time next week.<\/p>\n
Besides the CGI requirement, the coordination meeting also
\ndiscussed the request by the UN and the U.S. that Indonesia
\nfreeze the assets or accounts of companies or individuals
\nallegedly linked to international terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the CGI will meet to discuss loans to finance
\nthe 2002 state budget deficit.<\/p>\n
The government has said that it would be seeking new loans, of
\naround US$3.5 billion, to finance next year's budget.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/anticorruption-law-review-delay-affects-foreign-aid-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}