ICW on Jokowi's Support for Old KPK Law: An Attempt to Wash His Hands

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has spoken out regarding a statement by Indonesia’s seventh President, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), expressing his support for a proposal to restore the Corruption Eradication Commission Law (KPK Law) to its form prior to the 2019 revision.

The proposal was put forward by former KPK chairman for the 2011-2015 period, Abraham Samad Riyanto, during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at Kertanegara on Friday, 30 January.

ICW’s Head of Legal and Investigation Division, Wana Alamsyah, described Jokowi’s statement as an attempt to “wash his hands” of his own errors.

“The proposal to revise the KPK Law put forward by former seventh President Joko Widodo is full of paradox and constitutes an attempt to ‘wash his hands’ of long-standing mistakes. He was one of the greatest contributors to the weakening of the KPK, a revision process that took a mere 13 days or so,” Wana said in a written statement on Tuesday, 17 February.

Wana went on to outline the reasons why Jokowi was one of the key contributors behind the KPK Law revision. First, on 11 September 2019, Jokowi issued a Presidential Letter and delegated the Minister of Law and Human Rights and the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform to represent the executive in discussions on the KPK Law revision.

“Second, former President Jokowi did not issue an Emergency Government Regulation when there were major protests in September 2019. He had the authority to do so,” he said.

Previously, President Prabowo had invited a number of figures considered critical of the government, including Abraham Samad Riyanto as former KPK chairman for the 2011-2015 period.

Many topics were discussed during the meeting. Abraham Samad himself proposed that President Prabowo restore the KPK Law to its form prior to the 2019 revision.

Abraham argued that the 2019 revision of the KPK Law had weakened the role and authority of the KPK in combating corruption.

When asked for his response, Jokowi welcomed Abraham Samad’s proposal.

“Yes, I agree, that’s good,” Jokowi replied after watching the Persis Solo versus Madura United match at Manahan Stadium in Solo on Friday, 13 February.

The KPK Law was revised in 2019 while Jokowi was still serving as the sitting president. Many parties assessed that the revision had weakened the KPK’s ability to eradicate corruption in Indonesia.

However, Jokowi claimed he had never proposed the changes to the KPK Law. The legislation was amended on the initiative of the House of Representatives (DPR).

“That was the DPR’s initiative. Don’t get it wrong. It was the DPR’s initiative,” he insisted.