If we failed to gather sufficient support during the voting process, the bill would be defeated despite extensive public support expecting the bill to pass
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chair of the working committee for the Sexual Violence Eradication Bill of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Willy Aditya, emphasized that the plenary session to finalise the bill hinged on the parliamentary caucuses' support.

"According to our timetable, tomorrow is supposed to be the plenary session in the Legislation Body (Baleg) to finalise the bill draft, yet we cannot proceed tomorrow, as only four parliamentary fractions had expressed their support for the final draft of the bill," Aditya stated during the online national seminar on the urgency of the Sexual Violence Eradication Bill broadcast by the Nahdlatul Ulama YouTube channel and observed from Jakarta on Wednesday.

The working committee cautioned that the bill could not proceed in the absence of sufficient support from at least five parliamentary caucuses on grounds of which the committee is left with no choice but to delay the plenary session.

"If we failed to gather sufficient support during the voting process, the bill would be defeated despite extensive public support expecting the bill to pass," Aditya affirmed.

To avoid the defeat, the working committee is currently continuing to engage in dialogue and lobby the House fractions to allow the bill to pass the plenary session's voting. The committee targets to secure support from at least one more fraction before proceeding to the session, he stated.

The final draft of the Sexual Violence Prevention Bill has undergone thorough deliberations and accommodated the compromise suggested by party fractions, Aditya noted.

"Even when the chair of the Legislation Body Supratman urged the working committee colleagues to review the bill draft to seek any loophole that permits free sex and deviant sexual behaviour, they could not find it," he remarked.

He admitted that as the House comprised multiple political parties vying for influence in the law-making process, compromise among party fractions is necessary to pass any bill.

Related news: Campuses must form teams against sexual violence: women's commission
Related news: Optimistic of caucuses reaching consensus on sexual violence bill: DPR
Related news: Minister supports regulation on preventing, handling sexual violence

Translator: Tri Meilani A, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021