Delay on anticorruption law review may hamper disbursement of

Delay on anticorruption law review may hamper disbursement of
foreign aid: Minister

Tiarma Siboro
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said
on Tuesday that delay in the review of Corruption Law No. 31/1999
might hamper the disbursement of foreign financial assistance.

"Members of the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) have
said that the delay in the deliberation of the review of the
anticorruption law did not matter. But, they indicated that it
might affect the disbursement of financial assistance from donor
countries," Yusril told reporters, after attending a security
coordination meeting at the office of the Coordinating Minister
for Political and Security Affairs.

The draft bill of the anticorruption law, which is expected to
provide legal authorities with draconian powers, was submitted
for deliberation to the House of Representatives in June. The
House, however, only passed it into law in a plenary session on
Oct. 23. The law was an amendment of the Corruption Law No. 31
issued in 1999.

Yusril said that he had been pushing for immediate
deliberation of the law's review since June, but the House seemed
to be preoccupied with its own agenda. This included the
establishment of the House special committee to investigate the
high-profile State Logistics Agency (Bulog) case, which
implicated former president Abdurrahman Wahid, and the House
members' participation in the Special Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly in July. The Assembly's Special Session led
to the dismissal of Abdurrahman from office.

"It seemed that the House did not have enough time to
deliberate the review of the anticorruption law," he said.

Yusril added that besides evaluating the government's legal
reforms, CGI members would also consider the government's
willingness to combat money laundering and its seriousness in
regulating foreign investment.

"The CGI previously indicated that Indonesia should remain
committed to three reforms, namely the deliberation of draft laws
on the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN);
on money laundering, on investment and on electricity," he said.

The minister said he expected the House would deliberate the
review of the laws on money laundering, on investment and on
electricity immediately after the recess period was over, which
would be some time next week.

Besides the CGI requirement, the coordination meeting also
discussed the request by the UN and the U.S. that Indonesia
freeze the assets or accounts of companies or individuals
allegedly linked to international terrorist organizations.

On Wednesday, the CGI will meet to discuss loans to finance
the 2002 state budget deficit.

The government has said that it would be seeking new loans, of
around US$3.5 billion, to finance next year's budget.