MPR Reviews Proposed Constitutional Amendment

With the support of Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto, Bambang Soesatyo has been appointed as the chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) hold a plenary session to appoint a representative who will serve with the leadership of the People\'s Consultative Assembly (MPR) at the Senayan legislative complex, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (2/10/2019). The session was presided over by DPD Chairman La Nyalla Mattalitti.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – A lobby on a limited Constitutional amendment to reinstate the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN) was influential in Thursday’s appointment by consensus of Bambang Soesatyo as the 2019-2024 chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The 2014-2019 MPR has received a recommendation on amending the Constitution, so the newly installed MPR should review and follow it up, according to Bambang. However, he noted that the constitutional amendment should be based on rationality and the national interest.

"The MPR will pay attention to all aspirations that develop in the public, as well as the proposals of political parties. The MPR will not be careless," the Golkar Party politician said on Thursday evening at the Senayan legislative complex.

Bambang was appointed as the MPR chairman after Ahmad Riza Patria, who chairs the Gerindra faction in the MPR, declared the party’s support for Bambang’s nomination. The party took the decision following a meeting between Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto and PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Bambang Soesatyo

"Bapak Prabowo and Ibu Megawati agreed [to support Bambang], and for the greeter interest of the nation and to continue to maintain the spirit of the MPR, Gerindra agreed to deliberate towards consensus in formulating important policies for the MPR," said Riza.

Earlier, Gerindra had nominated Ahmad Muzani as the MPR chair, while eight factions and DPD lobbying groups in the MPR had thrown their support behind Bambang as the MPR chair.

Bambang now heads the MPR, with nine deputy chairs.

No blank check

MPR deputy chair Ahmad Basarah, who represents the PDI-P faction, said that the PDI-P had refrained from claiming the chairmanship from the outset, as the winning party wanted to avoid claiming the top position at both the MPR and the House of Representatives (DPR).

"The PDI-P wants to be consistent in that the practice of Pancasila democracy avoids the winning party claiming all [leadership] positions. We already know that the DPR chairman comes from the PDI-P. Indonesian President Pak Jokowi is also PDI-P. So it is not wise for the MPR chairman to also come from the PDI-P," he said.

ANTARA FOTO/M RISYAL HIDAYAT

Members of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) hold a plenary session at the Senayan legislative complex, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (2/10/2019). The session was held with the agenda of ratifying a schedule of sessions and the formation of factions and groups of the House of Representatives.

However, neither did the PDI-P offer a blank check to Bambang in endorsing him as the MPR chair. One of the commitments the party requested of Bambang was to draft a limited amendment to the Constitution, mainly to reinstate the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN) that was scrapped in 2002 under a  previous amendment.

According to Basarah, the commitment of the appointed MPR chair was critical because the Indonesian people needed the national development guideline. The GBHN was expected to realize national development through clear, measurable and sustainable planning.

"Thus, the election of the new president, governors, regents and mayors leads to change in policies and programs," he said.

Regional Representatives Council (DPD) member Fadel Muhammad said that the council had agreed to endorse Bambang upon five conditions that were closely related to strengthening its role and influence.

"The five conditions include the DPD’s involvement in discussions on the distribution of regional funds, village funds and regional incentive funds, and its involvement in revising regional laws and regional budgets. Finally, the DPD’s role is to be strengthened in the law on the MPR, DPR, DPD and DPRD [Regional Legislative Council] and in the 1945 Constitution," he said.

KOMPAS/SHARON PATRICIA

Bivitri Susanti

Bivitri Susanti, a lecturer at the Jentera College of Indonesian Law (STH Indonesia), pointed out that a constitutional amendment must not neglect the people\'s voice or input. "Is it true that the public supports and requires an amendment, or is it only in the interest of the elite, so they can control the direction of the state?” she said.

“The elected MPR leaders must ensure that the decision on the amendment should take the public’s voice into consideration," said Bivitri.

The director of the University of Jember’s Center for Pancasila and Constitutional Studies (Puskapsi), Bayu Dwi Anggono, said that if the new MPR’s main agenda was the constitutional amendment, the MPR chair was likely to be approached by many parties and institutions that had a vested interest in altering the Constitution.

Such institutions could be those that wanted a greater role or those that wanted to prevent their interest from being diminished.

MPR deputy chairman Jazilul Fawaid of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction confirmed that drafting the GBHN was one of the recommendations made to the 2014-2019 MPR.

MPR would be a “national house” that would make efforts to implement the Pancasila state ideology and the 1945 Constitution.

"From the previous MPR recommendations, there are two ways to shape the country\'s direction. One is through a constitutional amendment and the other is through a new law. If it is to be a law, the DPR, the government or the DPD should propose it. We at the PKB agreed to make the change through a limited constitutional amendment," he said.

Jazilul said that the PKB had agreed with consensus as the mechanism for appointing the new MPR chairman. The decision to support Bambang had passed through several lobbying sessions and consultations between the MPR factions and the DPD.

Meanwhile, MPR deputy chair Arsul Sani of the United Development Party (PPP) said that PPP had endorsed Bambang as the MPR chairman from the beginning, because all parties in the government coalition had all agreed that the appointment should be made by consensus.

Nasdem Party secretary-general Johnny Plate also shared this view.

National House

Before he was installed as the MPR chairman, Bambang greeted and thanked Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto and Nasdem chairman Surya Paloh, who had attended the plenary hearing. Also attending the ceremony was newly installed House speaker Puan Maharani.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Airlangga Hartarto

In his inaugural speech, Bambang expressed hope that the MPR would be an open and accommodating institution that strove for the development of society, which included efforts to amend the Constitution.

Bambang also hoped that the MPR would be a “national house” that would make efforts to implement the Pancasila state ideology and the 1945 Constitution. The MPR had a duty to protect and disseminate the four state pillars of Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (the state motto, “Unity in Diversity”).

(REK/NIA/DVD/FAI)