Vice President Jusuf Kalla (right) and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Zulkifli Hasan (center) leave the room after attending a commemoration of Constitution Day at Nusantara Hall in Central Jakarta on Sunday (18/8/2019). Vice President Kalla and MPR Speaker Zulkifli Hasan delivered speeches about independence and the Constitution.
The People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) for the 2014 to 2019 period has recommended to the MPR for the 2019 to 2024 period to realize constitutional amendments. In order not to turn into a wild ball, the discourse over the amendments must be reviewed by involving society and be bound by political commitments.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS —The Constitution formulated by the founders of the nation is intended to be implemented to limit power. Therefore, arbitrariness in the administration of the state is expected to not occur.
Development in the community raises the need for an amendment so that the contents of the Constitution remain relevant to meet the challenges of the times. However, the amendment discourse must be studied in depth and involve all levels of society so that the results are optimal. Political commitment is also needed so that the amendments do not become a wild ball.
One of the recent amendment discourses is about presenting a national development planning system as in the past with the application of the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN). It was considered necessary to ensure the sustainability of development.
"Through an in-depth study, the factions and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) groups in the MPR have agreed to restore the authority of the MPR to determine the GHBN through limited changes to the 1945 Constitution," said MPR Speaker Zulkifli Hasan in commemoration of Constitution Day during a national seminar themed "Evaluation of the Implementation of the 1945 Constitution" at the House of Representatives (DPR) Complex in Jakarta on Sunday (18/8/2019).
Those present at this event included Vice President Jusuf Kalla and DPD Speaker Oesman Sapta Odang.
According to Kalla, constitutional amendments are possible as long as they are not carried out against the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution. The reason is that the preamble contains the basics and objectives of the state of Indonesia, namely being just and prosperous through the process of educating the nation, advancing public welfare and participating in world peace.
Kalla also emphasized that the Constitution formulated by the nation\'s founders is to be implemented. "I hope we interpret the [Constitution] as it is. Bung Karno did not formulate a constitution for seminars, but to be implemented,"he said.
Recommendations
Zulkifli stated that the MPR for the 2014 to 2019 period would recommend that the MPR for the 2019 to 2024 period realize the fifth amendment or a limited amendment to the Constitution.
Recommended amendments are not only about the GBHN. Other materials will be related to the structuring of the authority of the MPR and DPD so that the existence of the two institutions could be increasingly felt by the community and the structuring of the presidential system, which includes the president\'s obligation to obtain approval or consideration from the DPR in terms of the appointment of certain positions.
Another thing that is recommended is the structuring of judicial power and the structuring of laws and regulations with the Pancasila guidelines as the source of all law.
The recommendations submitted by the MPR for the 2014 to 2019 period, Zulkifli said, have been supplemented by an in-depth study with recommendations for amendments article by article.
According to Zulkifli, these recommendations were made because the MPR for the 2014 to 2019 period whose work term will end in less than one and a half months was unsuccessful in amending it. The amendments can be submitted no later than six months before the end of the MPR membership period.
Meanwhile, DPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo asked that the discourse on the amendments to the 1945 Constitution be studied in advance in more depth and openly by involving all stakeholders. Thus, decisions related to the amendments would become the right decisions and bring benefits to the nation and state.
Gerindra Party secretary-general Ahmad Muzani said the leadership of political parties also needed to make a commitment to limit the amendment points only to restore the GBHN. Looking at the current political dynamics, said Muzani, that commitment cannot be confirmed yet.
The secretary-general of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Mustafa Kamal, said he also considered that the amendments should be limited to reviving the GBHN. According to him, the GBHN is still needed to answer long-term development issues that have not been sustainable. "But we must be careful and not be reactive because we must continue to maintain the spirit of reform," he said.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto emphasized that the amendments would not change the procedures for electing the president and vice president who are now directly elected by the people. (AGE/REK/NIA/MTK/LAS)
