Arya News - Calls have been mounting for Mr. Prabowo to turn his anticorruption rhetoric into action, with activists urging him to issue a government in lieu of law to move past legislative gridlock that has derailed deliberations of the asset forfeiture bill for over a decade.
JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto has ruled out issuing an executive regulation on recovery of stolen state assets, opting instead to catalyze political support from the House of Representatives for quick deliberations of a long-stalled asset forfeiture bill that is expected to scale up the fight against corruption.
Calls have been mounting for Prabowo to turn his anticorruption rhetoric into action, with activists urging him to issue a government in lieu of law (Perppu) to move past legislative gridlock that has derailed deliberations of the asset forfeiture bill for over a decade.
The bill, which will allow the state to confiscate ill-gotten assets even in the absence of a criminal conviction, has been in legislative limbo since its first proposal in 2008, largely due to resistance from political parties in the House.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said on Friday that while the President considers the bill a priority, the administration is opting to build consensus with the House, which is dominated by pro-government political parties, rather than bypassing the legislative process by issuing a Perppu.
“For now, no Perppu is being prepared. The President prefers communicating with our partners in the House and with leaders of their political parties,” he said, adding that the bill had already been discussed in meetings with various party leaders.
Prasetyo reaffirmed Prabowo’s commitment to a quick enactment of the bill during his term, stressing that the President “is deeply concerned with [the sluggish progress of] the bill” and that he considers it a key part of his broader anticorruption agenda.
“[Prabowo’s commitment to the bill] is not surprising,” he said. “One of the government’s core visions is fighting corruption, this asset forfeiture bill is a direct extension of that.”
Since taking office in October of last year, Prabowo has repeatedly made strong anticorruption pledges, vowing for a clean government and asserting that “no one is above the law”. Most recently, he expressed his support for the asset forfeiture bill in his May Day’s rally speech.
Act on promises
Zaenur Rohman from Gadjah Mada University’s Center for Anticorruption Studies (Pukat UGM), a strong proponent of the Perppu, questioned Prabowo’s decision to take on the “slower legislative path” when the state of corruption in the nation demanded an urgent executive measure.
“Corruption has spread across all layers of power and institutions. It’s caused massive losses to the state and directly affects the public. That qualifies as an emergency,” he said on Saturday.
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He also warned that by choosing to go through the House, the government could delay any progress until at least 2026, noting that the bill is not on the list of this year’s priority legislation (Prolegnas) but ranks low on the broader list of five-year Prolegnas.
Lakso Anindito of antigraft watchdog IM57+ urged Prabowo to prove his anti-corruption commitment through concrete action by consolidating political support in the legislature, which is now controlled by parties supporting him, to ensure its passage.
He cautioned against watering down the bill, stressing that Prabowo “must ensure that the final product reflects the true spirit of asset recovery” by ensuring the law includes a clear mechanism to address illicit enrichment or unexplained increases of public officials’ wealth.
A priority?
Despite Prabowo’s early endorsement, House Speaker Puan Maharani said the legislature would take up the asset forfeiture bill only after completing the revision to the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP), which, unlike the forfeiture bill, is part of this year’s Prolegnas.
Read also: House should rush assets bill deliberation, Jokowi says
“We won’t move hastily,” the politician from the only de facto opposition party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said recently. “We will collect aspirations from all elements of society before proceeding with the asset forfeiture bill.”
But one of House deputy speakers, Adies Kadir of pro-government Golkar Party, said lawmakers were waiting for the government’s draft bill, supporting documents outlining its arguments for the proposed provisions and a presidential letter formally requesting discussion of the bill with the House.
Earlier last week, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said his office was still finalizing the draft bill with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), which investigates suspicious financial transactions. The ministry, he said, planned to consult with the House about including the bill on this year’s list of priority legislation.