JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has harvested criticisms for his administration plan to issue a government regulation in-lieu-of-law (Perppu) to settle recent hullabaloo following the bribery case of Constitutional Court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar related in the handling of post elections disputes.
Former Constitutional Court Chief Justice Jimly Asshiddiqie viewed that the issuance of Perppu on Constitutional Court is not necessarily needed or a best solution. Moreover, he worried that that Perppu will be abused and would reduce the Court’s authorities.
“I will continue to voicing that the issuance of the Perppu is wrong. Do not let the government to reduce the Court’s authorities just because Akil’s case,” said Jimly on Sunday night (October 6).
Similar worries are also expressed by Anti-Corruption activists. Erwin Oemar from Indonesian Legal Roundtable, has suggested people to watch the content of the upcoming Perppu which possibly reduce the Court’s authorities.
Former Law Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, meanwhile, supported government plan as he hopes the upcoming Perppu will abolish the Court’s authority in handling any election disputes. Yusril, who is also patron leader of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), suggested that authority can be returned to the High Court and the Supreme Court.
As reported earlier, SBY, surprisingly made a fast respond over the recent hullabaloo surrounding the scandal in the handling of post elections disputes which dragged Akil Mochtar as suspect.
SBY, through the so-called five saving steps of the Constitutional Court announced over the weekend, said among others that the government will issue Perppu on the Constitutional Court.
According to SBY, the upcoming Perppu will revise the selection mechanism of Constitutional Court Judges and as well as place the monitoring process of Constitutional Court trial under the Judicial Commission supervision. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)