Who is Legislation For?
For whom is legislation made? For the people represented by the House of Representatives and the President? Or for a handful of people who hold power through capital?
Bivitri Susanti
The ends and beginnings of years are synonymous with reflection and resolution, likewise with legislation. What is usually discussed at the House of Representatives in Senayan is what laws have been deliberated in the past year and what laws will be deliberated in the coming year. This list is referred to as the annual priority list, derived from the national legislation program, which is valid for the 5-year term of office for the House of Representatives and the president.
The problem, however, is that this reflection only considers the number of laws that were passed and not the quality of these laws. In 2021, for example, only eight of the 33 targeted laws were passed. In 2020, marked by the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, only three of the targeted 37 laws were passed by the House. In 2019, 14 laws out of the 55 targeted were passed. Of the eight laws passed in 2021, three were the ratification of international agreements, the contents of which had already been discussed between the Indonesian government and other countries and were not up for debate. Meanwhile, the other two laws concern the routine budgeting mechanism.