[Jakarta, 10 April 2019] The deliberation of the Palm Oil Bill (RUU Perkelapasawitan) carries very little urgency and risks perpetuating deep contradictions. Most members of Parliament (DPR) have expressed support for passing the bill into law, even though its necessity remains highly questionable.
While palm oil is a major contributor to Indonesia’s foreign exchange earnings, it has also fueled an explosion of agrarian conflicts. According to records from ELSAM, in 2017 alone there were 111 incidents involving 115 conflict cases within palm oil plantation areas. A report by the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) further explains that the root cause of high conflict levels in this sector lies in unequal land ownership between smallholder farmers and large private corporations.
These concerns were raised by the #Vote4Forest coalition during the launch of the report “A Study of DPR Members’ Track Records in the Legislative Process of Environment-Related Bills: The Case of the Palm Oil Bill,” held today (10/4).
“Despite controversy, ongoing debate, and two formal rejections from the government, the DPR has remained determined to continue discussing the Palm Oil Bill. It has even been included again in the 2019 National Legislative Priority Program (Prolegnas), under the pretext of protecting national interests,” said M. Teguh Surya, Executive Director of Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan.
“This persistence cannot be separated from the close ties between senior party elites and the palm oil industry, whether through direct ownership or business relations,” Teguh added.
Key Findings of the Study
“This legislative track record study examined DPR members serving in the Legislative Body (Baleg) during the 2014–2019 period who were actively involved in deliberating the Palm Oil Bill. The findings show that out of 30 legislators engaged in the process, 28 are running again in the 2019 legislative election. Among them, 13 out of 28 Baleg members represent electoral districts where major palm oil corporations involved in varying levels of conflict operate,” explained Adrian Putra of WikiDPR.org.
The study indicates that Baleg members’ positions toward the bill are not determined solely by whether large palm oil corporations or conflicts exist within their constituencies. Instead, their stance is also shaped by political party affiliation, party financing links to major palm oil companies, and patron–client relationships within the Legislative Body.
The findings show:
53% of Baleg members are inclined to support the immediate passage of the Palm Oil Bill
36% remain neutral or do not show clear alignment
11% oppose continued deliberation of the bill
Further investigation into palm oil business ownership and political relationships within party structures reveals that at least six political parties have senior officials with identifiable business links to the palm oil industry.
Four parliamentary factions show the strongest tendency to support the bill’s passage: Golkar, PDIP, Nasdem, and Hanura. Several high-ranking party figures in these factions are either directly involved in or closely connected to palm oil business interests.
“These political-business connections risk accommodating corporate interests within the legislation produced by Parliament, including the Palm Oil Bill. In fact, Golkar and PDIP are among the bill’s key proponents,” Adrian added.
“In order to provide the public with broader information on legislators’ environmental track records ahead of the 2019 election, #Vote4Forest conducted studies on parliamentary alignment with environmental issues, using the Indigenous Peoples Bill, the Conservation Bill, and the Palm Oil Bill as case studies,” said Desmarita Murni of Change.org Indonesia.
#Vote4Forest is a collaborative initiative by Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan, WikiDPR, and Change.org Indonesia to provide public information on DPR members’ environmental track records ahead of the 2019 election.
With this study, voters are expected to gain sufficient information to choose representatives who will truly voice public aspirations in Parliament.
“Let us become smart and critical voters by tracing the track records of our representatives, in order to build a resilient and sustainable Indonesia in the future,” Desmarita concluded.
EDITOR’S NOTE
The full report and infographic are available at: change.org/vote4forest
Media Contacts
Jeanne Sanjaya – Change.org Indonesia (+62 878-2220-4401)
Luluk Uliyah – Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan (+62 815-1986-8887)
