Lawmaker Trimedya Pandjaitan said Wednesday that low attendance of lawmakers in meetings held to discuss the corruption bill had made it impossible for the House of Representatives to pass the bill in April as scheduled.

"We find it difficult to complete the discussion on the bill as there were too many members absent from the meetings," said Trimedya, member of House Commission III overseeing legal, security and human rights affairs.

Trimedya said that as discussions on the bill involved members from various commissions within the House, it created an enormous communication problem between lawmakers. "It would be much easier had we appointed committee members from Commission III only," he said.

As the House is scheduled for a recess starting March 8, he said that the discussion likely to extend beyond April. "The discussion could go on until August," Trimedya said.

According to law, the House must pass the bill before December or face the possibility of disbanding the corruption court, and forcing the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to hand over its cases to other courts – district and regional courts, which are often deemed untrustworthy by the public. (ewd)