Karina Tehusijarana, Jakarta – Political analyst Maksimus Ramses Lalongkoe has called on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to quickly issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on terrorism, following the deadly bombings in Surabaya and Sidoarjo in East Java.

"I ask President Jokowi to issue a Perppu to save this nation from the threat of terrorism, especially since the progress of the revision of the 2003 Terrorism Law at the House of Representatives, which started in 2016, has been slow," he said in a written statement on Tuesday.

Legally, a Perppu may only be issued during an emergency situation in which no existing law or regulation is able to provide solutions to the issue.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri issued a Perppu on terrorism shortly after the 2002 Bali bombings conducted by Islamist group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), which killed 202 people in the tourist district of Kuta. That Perppu was eventually ratified into the current law on terrorism.

"A Perppu is the right move so we don't have to wait for the deliberations on the bill in the House, which is held up by different political interests," Ramses said.

He added that police forces were unable to effectively prevent terror attacks because of the limitations of the current law on terrorism, adding to the urgency of issuing the Perppu. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/05/15/jokowi-urged-to-issue-perppu-on-terrorism.html