Conflicting bills may be discussed together<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Several members of the House of Representatives (DPR) proposed
\non Wednesday a simultaneous deliberation of two new bills on
\nfreedom of information and state secrecy in order to avoid
\nconflicting provisions as between the two bills.<\/p>\n
House members underlined the importance of prioritizing the
\ndeliberation on public access to information.<\/p>\n
The bill on freedom of information gives the public access to
\ninformation, while the state secrecy bill provides even low-
\nranking officers with the authority to ban public access to
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
\"The deliberation of the bills has to be made simultaneously
\nto avoid contradicting articles,\" deputy chairman of House
\nCommission I in charge of information affairs R.K. Sembiring
\nMeliala said here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Fellow Commission I member Hajriyanto Y. Thohari agreed, but
\nwarned of the increasing pressure legislators may be under during
\nthe deliberation of the two bills.<\/p>\n
\"Technically, the deliberation can be done simultaneously.
\nBut, the substance of the bills will be too burdensome,\"
\nHajriyanto told The Jakarta Post, adding that he would try to
\nuphold the public's right to information as a priority.<\/p>\n
Both Sembiring of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) and Hajriyanto of Golkar made the remarks on a
\nplan by legislators to discuss the bill on freedom of information
\nand an intention by the government to submit a state secrecy bill
\nto the House later this month.<\/p>\n
On Monday, legislator Tumbu Saraswati told a House plenary
\nmeeting that her team would start deliberating the bill on
\nfreedom of information over the next few days.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the 29 inter-faction legislators, Tumbu
\nof PDI Perjuangan said that the bill was expected to enforce the
\ncreation of transparent governance.<\/p>\n
Agus Sudibyo of the coalition of nongovernmental organizations
\n(NGOs) for freedom of information urged legislators recently to
\nrespond to the public's demand for transparent governance.<\/p>\n
\"The government must delay the deliberation of the state
\nsecrecy bill,\" Agus said.<\/p>\n
Fellow activist of the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law
\n(ICEL) Yosi Khatarina suggested on Wednesday that the substance
\nof the two bills be merged into one bill.<\/p>\n
\"Because its substance is similar, the state secrecy bill
\nshould be merged into the one on the freedom of information,\" she
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
Legislator Djoko Susilo, who heads the media and information
\nunit of Commission I, expressed fear on Tuesday of the
\npossibility that the deliberation of the bill on state secrecy
\nmay take priority over the bill on the freedom of information.<\/p>\n
His concern won support from some legislators, including
\nFirman Jaya Daeli, who recommended that the bill on freedom of
\ninformation be deliberated first.<\/p>\n
\"The House will firstly discuss the bill on freedom of
\ninformation, while the bill on state secrecy should be adjusted
\nlater,\" Firman said on Wednesday.<\/p>",
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