House makes more empty bill promises

House makes more empty bill promises

Kurniawan Hari
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

The House of Representatives (DPR) admitted defeat on Saturday
in its race against time to complete its deliberations on a top
priority bill in the current sitting, which will end on Dec. 13.

Legislators could only finish three of the more than a dozen
bills it had promised to "try hard" to complete by the end of the
season, which began on Nov. 20.

"Deliberation on the other bills will resume in the next
session," said Shodiq, a staff member with a bureau in the
secretariat-general on Friday.

The three bills that have been passed into law concern state
defense, the National Police and revisions to the state budget.

When opening the current session on Nov. 20, House Speaker
Akbar Tandjung promised that legislators would also discuss bills
on money laundering, electricity and investment as a top
priority.

"The bill on money laundering is very important because it is
part of international crime, which has a wide impact," Akbar
said.

Akbar had demanded legislators work day and night in order to
complete their unfinished deliberations on various bills, in a
session that lasted only 18 days.

At least 16 bills are being deliberated during the 18-day
period. They include, among others, one on an anticorruption
commission, property rights, electricity, the protection of
workers and state finance.

Other bills expected to be passed into law early next year are
on the protection of children, the presidency, banking credit and
the national education system.

An important "achievement" was the appointment of Comr. Gen.
Da'i Bachtiar as National Police chief. Da'i was made a general
immediately after being sworn in by President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.