Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The House of Representatives and the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday agreed to prioritize the deliberation of bills on state secrecy, military tribunals and military reserves during the 2009-14 period.
The agreement was announced after House Commission I, which oversees defense, information, foreign and political affairs, held a closed meeting with Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro at his office in Central Jakarta. The lawmakers were led by the chairman of Commission I, Kemal Azis Stamboel.
Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Hariyanto said the meeting was arranged to discuss the future agendas of both institutions, in particular the deliberation of defense-related bills.
"Both sides agreed to prioritize the deliberation of bills previous lawmakers failed to wrap up," Slamet said. "The bills are the state secrecy bill, the military tribunal bill and the military reserve component bill," he said.
Slamet added that it was possible either the ministry or Commission I would propose new legislation related to defense issues.
The state secrecy bill would give the government the authority to limit public access to specific documents, information, activities and objects that have been officially declared state secrets by the president. Lawmakers from the last House began deliberating the bill but rising public opposition to the draft prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to withdraw the legislation.
The military tribunal could change the way soldiers are tried for different offenses. In its current form, the bill would see soldiers tried in military courts for cases involving their military performance, while criminal cases involving soldiers would be heard in district courts.
Previous lawmakers spent more than four years debating the bill, but it was dropped after the military and the Defense Ministry opposed the idea of the police investigating and questioning soldiers suspected of criminal offenses.
The military reserve component bill provides a legal framework for the state to establish a reserve military force, which would consist of civilians who could be deployed as combatants in a time of war. It would also require that every citizen take part in compulsory military training.
The bill was still being deliberated when the last House ended its term in September.
Kemal, the Commission I chairman, said on Tuesday that his commission would be ready if the ministry proposed new pieces of legislation, including bills on intelligence and national security.
"We are waiting for the ministry to decide whether it will propose new legislation to be discussed over the next five years," he said.