Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – The House of Representatives insisted on Friday that it would continue to discuss the revision of the 2003 Terrorism Law despite a heated debate on the inclusion in the draft revision of an official role for the Indonesian Military (TNI) in combating terrorism.
The chairman of the House's inquiry committee on the Terrorism Law revision, Muhammad Syafi'i, said the fierce debate on the military's counterterrorism role would not affect the discussion of the draft revision because the House's political party factions were still able to create changes to the draft revision.
The committee is still on schedule to meet with the government's team for a hearing to discuss input for changes to several articles of the draft revision, he went on.
"The committee still has a chance to agree, to provide an addendum, to revise or to totally change the draft revision submitted by the government. We don't need to return it to the government because in principle, the House has decided to accept the draft revision," Syafi'i, a Gerindra Party politician, told The Jakarta Post on Friday evening.
He further explained that the committee had recently completed working visits to Poso in Central Sulawesi, Bima in West Nusa Tenggara and Surakarta in Central Java to garner suggestions for the revision.
Before the recess started on Friday, all political party factions on the committee began to compile a list of problems, and the committee will continue deliberating after the recess.
Syafi'i said the committee aimed to conclude the revision by December this year, adding, however, that he could not guarantee the deadline would be met.
As earlier reported, a committee member advised the House to "return the Terrorism Law draft revision" to the government given the sharp difference of opinion among different branches of government regarding the role of the TNI in fighting terrorism.
TB Hasanuddin from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) suggested the House return the draft revision to the government before beginning discussions on it.
He said the draft revision seemed "incomplete" and that the government should "coordinate all stakeholders to have one voice" on the proposed draft revision. (ebf)