Jakarta (ANTARA) - The House of Representatives (DPR RI) passed the Sexual Violence Crime Bill (RUU TPKS) into law during the parliament's plenary session on Tuesday.
"Do honorable members concur to the passing of the Sexual Violence Crime Bill as Law?" DPR Speaker Puan Maharani asked legislators while presiding over the parliament's plenary session, as observed here on Tuesday.
A near-unanimous affirmative response from legislators was followed by Maharani striking the gavel, signifying the bill's passing into law.
Spirited applause was then heard in the plenary hall as legislators and spectators observing the session in the visitors' gallery welcomed the bill's passing. Maharani then smiled and waved to the audience.
Earlier, the DPR Speaker noted that the plenary meeting would be a milestone for the people's struggles.
"Today's plenary session is a historic moment that the public has been waiting for. Today, the Sexual Violence Crime Bill will be passed into law and become evidence of the struggles of sexual violence victims," Maharani said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.
The speaker affirmed that the bill had been fought for since 2016, and its discussion had faced several obstacles, including several rejections.
However, the hard work of all elements of the nation demonstrates that good intentions will draw some good results, she affirmed.
During the first phase of deliberations on the Sexual Violence Crime Bill, eight out of nine parliamentary factions -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, Golkar Party faction, Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party faction, Nasdem Party faction, National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, Democratic Party faction, National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, and United Development Party (PPP) faction -- indicated their approval for the bill being passed into law.
Only the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction expressed disapproval of the bill.
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