House backs all-out fight against corruption

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives threw its political weight on Monday behind an all-out war on corruption, which, many argue, has developed into an organized crime in crisis-plagued Indonesia.

"Politically, the House supports all efforts to fight the corruption that has contributed so much to the people's sufferings and inflicted such huge material losses on the state," House Speaker Akbar Tandjung told visiting members of the Joint Anticorruption Team led by Andi Andojo Sutjipto at the House.

He said it was the government's duty to implement the 1998 People's Consultative Assembly Decree on the eradication of corruption and establishment of clean governance.

"It is not enough for the government to issue the 1999 anticorruption regulation. It must be followed up with concrete action," he said.

The anticorruption team said at the meeting that the House and the government must have a united political will to declare an emergency so as to combat rampant corruption. The team explained that in the eyes of the people, corruption had become an extraordinary crime that must be eradicated through extraordinary measures.

International surveys over the past few years have identified Indonesia as being among the world's most corrupt countries.

Akbar said the House would study the team's proposals and comments.

"House Commission II for home and legal affairs will study the proposals and complaints. But, here and now, let me assure the anticorruption team that the House is committed to a do-or-die war against corruption," he said.

Akbar suggested that the team prepare a draft regulation in lieu of a law and an anticorruption bill if the 1999 law on corruption was considered to be ineffective in bringing corruptors to justice and imposing appropriate sentences on those convicted of corruption.

Earlier, the United Development Party faction had submitted an anticorruption bill to replace the existing law.

Amien Aryoso, chairman of the House commission, conceded that the current law contains numerous loopholes that allow corruptors to get off the hook.

"Our commission will consider the proposal and study the complaints. If the proposal accords with the bill to combat corruption, we will recommend that the House enact emergency measures against corruption," he said.

Amien insisted that the fight against corruption did not rest with the House but rather with the Supreme Court and the government, especially the National Police and the Attorney General's Office.

"Success in fighting corruption depends on the police, prosecutors and judges. The law enforcers must develop a strong commitment to upholding the supremacy of law and those who hide behind the law to protect corruptors must be punished as severely as possible," he asserted.

He said that law enforcers should uphold the Constitution which stipulated that everybody was equal before the law.

"Law enforcers must have the guts to net all corruptors, regardless of their status as legislators or state officials," he said.

He claimed that his commission had frequently asked the National Police chief and the Attorney General to forge cooperation with the Supreme Court, the Anticorruption Commission (KPKPN) and the State Audit Agency (BPK) to cope with corruption.

Adi Andojo Sutjipto, the team's chairman, told the legislators that the prevailing level of corruption could no longer be handled by conventional means as it had become a deep-rooted culture and an organized crime.

"The liberal culture and system which respect individual rights have encouraged law enforcers to protect the corruptors' individual rights, instead of upholding truth and justice," he said. (rms)