Margareth S. Aritonang and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Opposition has grown against a plan by the House of Representatives (DPR) to constrain the authority of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has sent a number of corrupt officials to prison.
The plan was seen as an attempt to hamper the eradication of deep-rooted corruption in many state institutions and bureaucracies.
"Given the fact that many legislators are in prison, the public sees this plan as an attempt to weaken the KPK," said former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie on Friday.
He also criticized the House for proposing the revision. He suggested the initiative to revise the law should come from the government, as it has better resources to make more comprehensive preparations.
The intention to strip the KPK of some of its authority was revealed by Democratic Party legislator Benny Kabur Harman, who said the plan would be made by revising the law on the anticorruption body.
Fellow legislator Ruhut Sitompul said Friday that such revision would be unnecessary because the existing law provides the legal basis for the KPK to fulfill its responsibilities.
"The Democratic Party doesn't support the revision because we think the KPK has been doing a good job. Therefore, our faction will back up the KPK to maintain its authority to prevent, investigate and enforce the law against corruption," said Ruhut, the party's head of communications and information.
KPK chairman Abraham Samad questioned the House's motives behind the revision plan, saying the existing law was enough to legally support the KPK to carry out its mandate.
Echoing Abraham, Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana suggested lawmakers first discuss the issue with the KPK before moving forward with revision plans.
"Only the KPK alone really understands whether or not the existing law is sufficient. Should the law be revised, it must strengthen the anti-graft body," he said.
Benny earlier said the revision will help the KPK focus more on preventive measures rather than investigative ones.
"The KPK has too much authority, which has resulted in their poor performance. However, we don't mean to strip the KPK of its law enforcement authority. The discussion concerns the focus of the KPK in the future to only pursue mega-corruption and structural corruption and not at the individual level," Benny said recently.
Determined to boost the KPK's performance through a "well-revised" legal foundation, a team of 15 lawmakers from House Commission III departed to France last week to learn from France's anti-graft agency, which according to some legislators, such as Trimedya Panjaitan from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P), is unique and worth learning from.
Another team is scheduled to leave for Hong Kong to learn about Hong Kong's anti-graft agency.
Benny, however, said that the House was firmly resolved to revising the law because it would help the anti-graft body focus on accomplishing its main responsibility, which is to prevent corruption.