Government wants KPK to be reinforced: Kalla

Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated that the government wanted the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to be strengthened.

The vice president made the remarks in response to the tentative conclusion of the House of Representatives (DPRs) KPK Special Inquiry Committee that aims to revise the law on KPK.

Kalla stated in his office in Jakarta on Tuesday that if there was a move to revise Law No. 30 of 2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission, it should aims to strengthen the role of the anti-graft agency.

"The government wants a strong KPK. If there is a revision, it should strengthen the KPK," Kalla noted.

Kalla remarked that the government does not want any weakening of the KPK, because the presence of the institution was still needed to eliminate or reduce corruption practices in Indonesia.

"We still need the KPK to eliminate or reduce the rate of corruption in Indonesia," Kalla added.

The Houses KPK Inquiry Committee has submitted a tentative conclusion regarding the implementation of KPKs duties and authorities. There are 11 problems obtained from a number of reports, aspirations, examination of witnesses, recorded interviews, and others.

The DPRs KPK Inquiry Committee judged that from the institutional aspect, the KPK moves to position itself as a super body that is not willing to be criticized and supervised and uses media opinion to suppress its critics.

In addition, the KPK, with independent arguments that lead to freedom from state power branches, has the potential to abuse power and should strictly and effectively be supervised by the DPR.

Another point that is being spotlighted (by the DPR) is that the KPK is deemed not to comply with the principles of legal certainty, openness, and accountability in carrying out its duties and functions, as regulated in Article 5 of the Corruption Eradication Commission Law.

"If there is deliberation of the law in the House, then the government will respond and send ministers to discuss it together," Kalla pointed out.

Source: ANTARA