by Mathias Hariyadi

Taking advantage of the presidential election campaign, parliament approved a law making it virtually impossible to investigate corruption charges against politicians. The norm, yet to be signed by the head of state, represent a "serious obstacle" to justice. An online petition for the cancellation of the law. Appeal to be lodges with Constitutional Court.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Taking advantage of the presidential elections holding sway over public attention, Indonesia's MP's have approved a law virtually granting them immunity from corruption inquiries. It is not uncommon for Jakarta politicians to use, current events or events of national scope for personal or ulterior motives.

The initiatives put in place in recent weeks by the political class only emerged in the last few days, with the people amazed and outraged by "the dirty trick" designed to exonerate or to grant politicians and parliamentarians immunity from corruption cases.

Now, any investigation or prosecution of ministers and members of the executive in cases of corruption and embezzlement of public funds must receive official approval of the Head of State. Abraham Samad, head of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK), said that "the move has dramatically reduced the power of the prosecution - police and prosecutors - to indict MPs implicated in corruption." The norm is also "a serious obstacle" to justice being done.

However, this time the civil society will not simply stand by and watch yet another coup carried out by the political "caste"; through an initiative that has spread on the Internet and on social networks, a group of citizens has promoted a petition, which started last week, and should be submitted to the Constitutional Court (MK). It calls for the cancellation of the law passed by Parliament, because of beyond the many controversial issues, it is a clear violation of the "principle of equality before the law." This law, say activists, says that "politicians are not people of integrity from the moral point of view."

Over the past three years,- under the outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -  the Anti-Corruption Commission has carried out a series of successful operations across the country, bringing down high profile public figures in sensational cases of corruption that have involved various sectors including the justice system, politics and the economy. Their victims include a prominent minister of the Executive Board and the President of the Constitutional Court, the oil scandal and intrigues that led to the re-election of former Governor of the Central Bank . Moreover, the issue of corruption was one of the key issues in the general elections in April and presidential elections in July.

The high profile trials concluded with sentences of up to 10 years in prison; even harder than the sentence of 16 years in prison imposed on Lutfi Hasan, former MP and president of the pro-Islamic Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS). Even now, there are many political and parliamentarians being  investigated by the anti-corruption committee and subjected restrictions on their freedom of movement.

 

• INDONESIA
• parliament
• law
• corruption
• investigation
• politicians