Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Establishment of local political parties and the partition of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam into three provinces are expected to be main issues of contention when legislators begin deliberations on the bill on Aceh later this month.
Yet House members are optimistic they will pass the bill – currently under discussion at the Ministry of Home Affairs – by the March deadline stipulated in 2005's peace agreement between the government and separatists. Another controversial article in the bill, which was drafted by the Aceh legislative council, concerns prosecuting human rights cases against members of the Indonesian security forces during three decades of unrest.
The enforcement of sharia law in Aceh is also likely to provoke debate when the bill is brought. The bill stipulates that military and police officers who committed crimes would be subject to prosecution in sharia courts.
Sidarto Danusubroto, a lawmaker with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that the creation of local political parties in Aceh went against the Constitution. "We don't recognize that," he told a discussion on the bill on Friday.
Under the peace accord signed in August by the government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the separatists withdrew their demands for an independent state in exchange for being allowed to establish local political parties to contest direct elections in the province.
Sidarto also criticized articles that allowed for the establishment of a human rights tribunal, and the possible involvement of UN rapporteurs to probe human rights cases in the future.
"The peace deal grants former GAM members amnesty, but not for police and military officials. Does this mean that the target of the human rights tribunal is police and military officials?" said the retired police officer.
He was confident the House would finish deliberating the bill on time, even though the draft law has yet to be even listed in the National Legislation Program.
Fellow legislators Ferry Mursyidan Baldan and Nasir Djamil were also hopeful of completing the bill's passage.
"I am sure we can finish it on time. Most of the articles in the bill have already been accommodated in Law No. 18/2001 on special autonomy for Aceh," said Ferry, a member of the Golkar Party.
He said there was nothing to be concerned about in terms of the contents of the bill, saying it reflected the aspirations of the Acehnese people.
Establishment of local political parties was aimed at accommodating the aspirations of former GAM members, said Ferry and Nasir of the Prosperous Justice Party.
There has been speculation that the government will add several articles to the bill to allow for the division of Aceh into three provinces. Local Acehnese have opposed the partition plan, which is being pushed by several lawmakers and officials.
In all likelihood, the bill will be passed by the House, where more than half the 550 seats are held by parties who back the government, such as the Golkar Party, Democrat Party, PKS and United Development Party.
The peace deal signed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki sets March as the deadline for the passing of the bill, which would become the legal umbrella for the conduct of local elections in Aceh. However, political observer J. Kristiadi said that this was not a strict stipulation.
"Both the government and GAM have shown strong commitment to promote peace in Aceh. It would not be a serious problem if the bill was delayed," he said.