Next year is predicted to be an intense one for legislation, with the House of Representatives (DPR) scheduled to finish several critical bills, including ones concerning the antigraft agency, elections and a special status for Yogyakarta.??The Center for Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK) said the public would pay more attention to the House next year. ??The two “hottest” bills are an amendment to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) law and a law for legislative elections. “Possibilities to downsize authority [for the KPK] or threaten people’s rights to form organizations are open here,” PSHK researcher Ronald Rofiandri said. ??This year, Indonesian Parliamentary Center listed laws on the election organizer, political parties and intelligence as the toughest ones to be deliberated. ??“I think the heat is rising in the House next year for legislation, given the listed prioritized bills,” IPC director Sulastio said. “In 2012, the House will not be distracted by other issues such as a cabinet reshuffle.” ??The House has agreed to prioritize for deliberation 64 bills in the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), out of a proposed 66. The two bills dropped were draft amendments to the 2003 Labor Law and the 2003 Advocates Law. ??Among the 64 are bills that address illegal logging, the protection of migrant workers and the Supreme Court. ??Also listed on Prolegnas are revisions to the Presidential Election and Regional Election laws. ??Nurul Arifin, a lawmaker who serves on House Commission II, which oversees home affairs, said she agreed with PSHK and IPC about how 2012 would go. ??“[Next year] indeed is going to be intense because that’s the cycle, we are approaching an election,” said Nurul, who is a member of the Golkar Party on the House Legislation Body. ??Nurul, however, said that all factions at the House have committed to stick to the schedule and pass the Legislative Election law by March. She admitted there would be tough debates among parties in the House but said that everyone would follow the tight timetable. ??“After the [Legislative] Election bill, we are going to work on revising the Presidential Election Bill,” she said. ??House Commission II, Nurul said, was also looking forward to deliberating another important bill that would help resolve problems stemming from disputes over land. ??For Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, next year’s most pressing bill is an amendment to the 2002 KPK Law. The proposed bill sparked public debate this year, mainly because of growing concern that the House would curtail the antigraft commission’s authority. At a meeting with lawmakers at the House, the KPK asked the legislators to abort the idea altogether. ??Eva Kusuma Sundari, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who is a member of House Commission III, said previously that the possibility of reducing the KPK’s authority had nothing to do with the House’s concerns with the body. ??The KPK has arrested many former and current House members, including a recent bunch who were linked to a bribery case surrounding the 2004 election of Miranda Goeltom as a Bank Indonesia deputy governor. ??Eva said the House had no intention of weakening the KPK but only wanted “to bring it more into line with [its] principles. It is strange that KPK authorities could ‘trick’ positive laws.” ??However, Eva said Commission III had yet to discuss which bills they were going to push first next year. ??Legislation Body chairman Ignatius Mulyono said 2012 should be seen as a year for hard work. Not only were there many bills to pass, he said, but also because deliberating some bills was predicted be difficult because some involved working with joint ministries. ??And although it is the Legislation Body that sets the priorities for Prolegnas, it depends on commission agreements to decide which to work on first. ??Ronald said the public should monitor the process to make sure the House doesn’t make any “under the table” transactions. ??The public, he said, should urge the House to be open and transparent in its legislation process.