TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Puan Maharani has become the first woman leading the country’s legislative body. Many voices hope through social media that her appointment can be a breath of fresh air for the passage of sexual violence eradication draft bill (RUU PKS).

The House speaker outlined that eight draft legislations were postponed in the 2014-2019 period and will be carried over in her term, including RUU PKS.

"[The draft law] will surely be a priority in future National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), but we will carry out the mechanism and procedures in the next order," said Puan after the inauguration at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, October 1.

However, Puan did not provide a firm answer when asked about her commitment to ratify the bill which had been discussed since 2017, affirming that she would first look at the results of discussions conducted by the 2014-2019 Parliament.

"I will review it first and then discuss it after we decide in what order," said the daughter of the country’s first female President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

RUU PKS has yet to be passed into law as there was no internal understanding among lawmakers. The Prosperous Justice Party or PKS, for example, criticized several points of the draft bill initiated by the House. Therefore, the DPR and the government agreed to appoint the drafting team during the last plenary meeting.

Besides, the DPR argued that the draft legislation could not be passed before the passage of the Criminal Code draft bill (RKUHP).

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) considered that the postponement of sexual violence eradication draft bill only beset the victims. "They did not obtain anything in the past five years," said the commission chair Azriana in her office, Tuesday, October 1.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI