President Jokowi Asks DPR to Postpone Passing Four Bills

President Jokowi accompanied by Cabinet Secretary meets with Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday (23/9). (Photo by: Presidential Secretariat)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has expressed hope that the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) can postpone the passing of a number of bills, including the one on criminal code.

“I call for postponement of a number of bills including coal and mineral mining (Minerba) bill, land bill, penitentiary bill, criminal code bill to obtain more inputs from the public while discussing the substance of articles,” said the President after meeting with Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Faction Chairman, and Commission Chairman of the DPR at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday (23/9).

For this reason, the President called on lawmakers in the next period to deliberate a number of bills in the hope to accommodate public aspirations. “I call on the lawmakers in the next period to discuss the bills,” he said.

Regarding the objection of a number of bills such as bill on amendment to Law Number 30 of 2002 on Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) – which is an initiative of the DPR, the President suggested to submit it to the DPR. “The DPR must take into account public aspirations,” he said.

The President’s fresh call for postponement of the bill’s passage came only four days before the DPR was initially scheduled to pass it into law during a plenary meeting of its last sitting period on 24 September.

The 2014 – 2019 term of the DPR will come to an end in less than two weeks and a new cohort of lawmakers, including reelected ones, is to be installed on 1 October. (BPMI Secretariat/ES)

Translated by: Muhardi

Edited by: M. Ersan Pamungkas