Experts reject bill on legislation
Experts reject bill on legislation
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Ten legal experts from eight universities urged the House of
Representatives to delay the approval of the bill on law-making
procedures, saying it would disrupt the country's legal system.
Maria Indrati of the University of Indonesia (UI) said the
bill would create more conundrums as it recognized decrees issued
by state institutions as legally binding regulations below
presidential decrees.
She said it was only the executive body (the president and
Cabinet) or the legislative body and executive body combined that
held the authority to make laws.
Other state institutions like the State Audit Agency, Supreme
Court and Constitutional Court have no authority to issue
regulations that are binding.
"Those institutions can only issue internal regulations," she
said.
The House has arranged a plenary session on March 1 and is
expected to pass the bill.
In addition to Maria, the other legal expert were Satya
Arinanto from UI, Yuliandri and Saldi Isra from Andalas
University in Padang, West Sumatra, Armansyah from the University
of North Sumatra (USU) in Medan, Lita Tyesta from Diponegoro
University in Semarang, Romlah Sartono from Airlangga University
in Surabaya, Sofwan from Mataram University, La Sina from the
Mulawarman University in East Kalimantan and Abdul Razak from
Hasanuddin University in Makassar.
Activists Ajeng Kesuma, Chalid Muhammad and Firsty Husbani
from the Coalition of Participative Policy also voiced their
rejection of the bill.
They also criticized the inclusion of regulations issued by
village heads as part of the national legal system.
She said the regulations issued by village heads were just
administrative policies which only effective within that village.
The legal experts demanded that the House spend more time
deliberating the bill.
Commenting on the criticism from some of the top legal minds
in the country, legislator Zain Badjeber of the United
Development Party (PPP) said the House would take the suggestion
into consideration.
According to Zain, the House might delay the bill's
endorsement if there was enough popular resistance.