House backs all-out fight against corruption<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives threw its political
\nweight on Monday behind an all-out war on corruption, which, many
\nargue, has developed into an organized crime in crisis-plagued
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Politically, the House supports all efforts to fight the
\ncorruption that has contributed so much to the people's
\nsufferings and inflicted such huge material losses on the state,\"
\nHouse Speaker Akbar Tandjung told visiting members of the Joint
\nAnticorruption Team led by Andi Andojo Sutjipto at the House.<\/p>\n
He said it was the government's duty to implement the 1998
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly Decree on the eradication of
\ncorruption and establishment of clean governance.<\/p>\n
\"It is not enough for the government to issue the 1999
\nanticorruption regulation. It must be followed up with concrete
\naction,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The anticorruption team said at the meeting that the House and
\nthe government must have a united political will to declare an
\nemergency so as to combat rampant corruption. The team explained
\nthat in the eyes of the people, corruption had become an
\nextraordinary crime that must be eradicated through extraordinary
\nmeasures.<\/p>\n
International surveys over the past few years have identified
\nIndonesia as being among the world's most corrupt countries.<\/p>\n
Akbar said the House would study the team's proposals and
\ncomments.<\/p>\n
\"House Commission II for home and legal affairs will study the
\nproposals and complaints. But, here and now, let me assure the
\nanticorruption team that the House is committed to a do-or-die
\nwar against corruption,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Akbar suggested that the team prepare a draft regulation in
\nlieu of a law and an anticorruption bill if the 1999 law on
\ncorruption was considered to be ineffective in bringing
\ncorruptors to justice and imposing appropriate sentences on those
\nconvicted of corruption.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the United Development Party faction had submitted an
\nanticorruption bill to replace the existing law.<\/p>\n
Amien Aryoso, chairman of the House commission, conceded that
\nthe current law contains numerous loopholes that allow corruptors
\nto get off the hook.<\/p>\n
\"Our commission will consider the proposal and study the
\ncomplaints. If the proposal accords with the bill to combat
\ncorruption, we will recommend that the House enact emergency
\nmeasures against corruption,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Amien insisted that the fight against corruption did not rest
\nwith the House but rather with the Supreme Court and the
\ngovernment, especially the National Police and the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
\"Success in fighting corruption depends on the police,
\nprosecutors and judges. The law enforcers must develop a strong
\ncommitment to upholding the supremacy of law and those who hide
\nbehind the law to protect corruptors must be punished as severely
\nas possible,\" he asserted.<\/p>\n
He said that law enforcers should uphold the Constitution
\nwhich stipulated that everybody was equal before the law.<\/p>\n
\"Law enforcers must have the guts to net all corruptors,
\nregardless of their status as legislators or state officials,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He claimed that his commission had frequently asked the
\nNational Police chief and the Attorney General to forge
\ncooperation with the Supreme Court, the Anticorruption Commission
\n(KPKPN) and the State Audit Agency (BPK) to cope with corruption.<\/p>\n
Adi Andojo Sutjipto, the team's chairman, told the legislators
\nthat the prevailing level of corruption could no longer be
\nhandled by conventional means as it had become a deep-rooted
\nculture and an organized crime.<\/p>\n
\"The liberal culture and system which respect individual
\nrights have encouraged law enforcers to protect the corruptors'
\nindividual rights, instead of upholding truth and justice,\" he
\nsaid. (rms)<\/p>",
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