House Considers to Postpone Criminal Code Bill

Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Bambang Soesatyo. Photo by: Jay/PR.

Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) is considering the Government’s appeal to postpone the approval of Bill on Criminal Code (RUU KUHP) at the Plenary Session scheduled next Tuesday (24/9), Speaker of the House Bambang Soesatyo has said.

“The postponement is based on the Government’s appeal. It also shows that the DPR pays attention to public demand to postpone the passing of Criminal Code Bill,” he said in Jakarta, Friday (21/9).

Bambang also expressed his optimism that all faction in the DPR will share the common platform on the postponement. “I myself have spoken with several political group leaders in the House of Representatives to discuss the postponement on Monday (23/9) during the meeting of the Legislative Committee,” he explained.

Bambang went on to say that if the leaders of political groups in Legislative Committee meeting agree to postpone the Bill, several articles in the Bill will be reexamined.

“The leaders of the DPR have also received input from representatives of students who were demonstrating in front of the House of Representatives on the revision of the Criminal Code Bill. There are still a number of articles which are considered controversial,” Bambang said, adding that the articles will be reexamined and the results will be open for public.

Some articles which are considered to be controversial, he added, include articles that regulate cohabitation, freedom of the press, and insults to the head of state.

Bambang further said that it is not easy to draft Criminal Code to replace the Dutch colonial Criminal Code.

“I can feel the incredible pressure. In discussing this Bill, frankly, the DPR has also received strong pressure related to the LGBT matters from at least 14 representatives of European countries and our neighboring countries,” Bambang said.

For the record, responding to public demand, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has asked the DPR to postpone the legislative proceedings on Criminal Code Bill.

“I have instructed Minister of Law and Human Rights as a representative of the Government to ask the House of Representatives to postpone the approval of Criminal Code Bill during this legislative period,” the President said during a press conference at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Friday (20/9). (EN/ES)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Edited by: Yuyu Mulyani