Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition, which is made up of 55 different organisations, has issued an ultimatum to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and the House of Representatives (DPR) demanding that they revoke Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2/2022 on the Job Creation Law (Perppu Ciptaker) within the next seven days.
If this demand is not met, they are threatening to hold massive demonstrations and a civil disobedience campaign.
"If within the next seven days these demands are not met, we will call on all the Indonesian people who are in the same boat, who have been trampled upon by the arbitrary authority of the president, to conduct civil disobedience and mass actions that are legitimate", read a joint statement by the groups on Wednesday January 11.
According to the Coalition, the Perppu demeans the pillars of a constitutional state and is a betrayal of the Indonesian constitution. They see the Perppu signed by Widodo late last year as being able to cause legal demoralisation of investment interests.
"This move is a form of protest without other options, aside from demanding the revocation of the Jobs Law Perppu it is a strong warning about the actions taken by the president and the government who are forcing their own wishes [on the people]", the groups explained.
The Coalition is threatening to continue the campaign of civil disobedience until their demands are met.
"Civil disobedience will continue to carried out by the people for as long as this constitutional betrayal is still maintained by the president of the Republic of Indonesia and the DPR", read the statement.
Late last year, Widodo issued Perppu Number 2/2022 on the Jobs Law which replaces the Jobs Law that was declared conditionally unconstitutional in November 2021 through Constitutional Court Ruling Number 91/PUU-XVIII/2020.
The issuance of the Perppu was said to be based on considerations related to global economic uncertainty that needed an immediate response, one of which is the Russian-Ukrainian war.
President Widodo claimed that there were several reasons why he had to issue the Perppu. According to Widodo, Indonesia is haunted by the threat of global uncertainty.
"It was threat of the risk of uncertainty that caused us to issue the Perppu, because it is to provide legal certainty, [fill] a legal vacuum, in the perception of both domestic as well as international investors. That is what's most important, because our economy in 2023 will very much depend upon investment and exports", said Widodo.
Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD also explained earlier that a law that has been declared conditionally unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court can be revised through a new law or a Perppu.
A Perppu however is issued when there is a critical situation. He also said that the assessment of this critical situation is the president's subjective right.
"In procedural terms, making a Perppu to meet the demands of a law that is conditionally unconstitutional can be done providing a critical situation exists. The [assessment of that] crisis is the president's subjective right. All that's left is to test it", said Mahfud via his private Twitter account on Tuesday January 3.
The Perppu however has attracted significant opposition from a number of parties because its contents are not very different from the original Job Creation Law that was declared conditionally unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. The contents of the Perppu are also seen as containing problematic articles that are detrimental to workers and the environment in particular.
The Civil Society Coalition is made up of 55 organisations including the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), the Nusantara Traditional Community Alliance (AMAN), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Palm Oil Watch (Sawit Watch), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI), the Institute for Public Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), the Human Rights LAW Council and the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership Institute for Wisdom and Public Policy (LHKP PP Muhammadiyah). (yla/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "55 Organisasi Ultimatum Jokowi Cabut Perppu Ciptaker dalam 7 Hari".]
