Our Hopes for the 9 Statesmen

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Rows of empty seats are seen during a House of Representatives plenary meeting on 16 September(16/9/2019) at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta. The legislature passed into law the revision to Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission during the meeting.

The much-criticized revision of Law No. 30/2002 concerning the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which triggered controversy, has taken effect.

Without being signed by President Joko Widodo, 30 days after the House of Representatives and the government passed the bill, the revision of the law officially became Law No.19/2019. Some people still hope that President Jokowi will issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to cancel its enactment.

For some people, as shown with rallies involving high school and university students and actions by academics and professionals in protest against the law, the revision of the KPK Law initiated by the House for the 2014-2019 period, not only weakens the KPK but it also threatens corruption eradication. Therefore, the revision of the KPK Law must be rejected, although there are also residents who support the revision of the KPK Law with various notes.

In fact, issuing a Perppu when the KPK Law revision is already in force has the potential to cause unnecessary noise between the executive and legislative bodies.

Various attempts were taken by the people, including urging President Jokowi to immediately issue a Perppu. A Perppu requires a state of emergency. And sociologically, there is no more state of emergency. In fact, issuing a Perppu when the KPK Law revision is already in force has the potential to cause unnecessary noise between the executive and legislative bodies.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Constitutional Court Judges Manahan MP Sitompul, Anwar Usman, Enny Nurbaningsih (left to right) preside over a judicial review of the Corruption Eradication Commission Law at the Constitutional Court, Jakarta, Monday (21/10/2019). The petitioners, all of whom were students, questioned a number of issues, including the existence of a supervisory council and investigation termination warrant authority in the law.

There are still two ways to counter the new KPK Law or to improve it, namely a judicial review through the Constitutional Court (MK). Other than that, it can be done through a legislative review, reexamining the provisions of Law No. 19/2019, which has the potential to weaken the KPK and cripple corruption eradication in Indonesia. However, this legislation examination would depend on the willingness of the government and the House for the 2019-2024 period. The majority of current House members are members of the previous period. The President and his staff have not changed much either. Surely it takes more time and patience for the legislative review to materialize.

Read more : Dawn of the Second Term

The choice to review the revision of the KPK Law, Law No. 19/2019, through the Constitutional Court by a group of students from various tertiary institutions in the country, as reported by Kompas, on Tuesday (22/10/2019), is rational. There is a time limit for the process at the Constitutional Court. So it was more predictable. Judicial reviews also do not trigger public commotion.

Article 15 of Law No. 8/2011 concerning the Constitutional Court stipulates that constitutional judges meet have integrity. With that condition, the judges must be figures who neither have personal nor group interests. Constitutional judges must certainly listen to the voice of the people .The people\'s voice is clear: Never give up fighting corruption.