Hope for the New House

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) congratulate each other at a ceremony for their inauguration together with members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) for the 2019-2024 period at the Senayan Legislative Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (1/10/2019). President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla were present at the inauguration ceremony.

A change in legislative power took place at the House of Representatives building in Senayan, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. A total of 575 people have been inaugurated as members of the House.

The inauguration of members of the DPR, the Regional Representative Council (DPD) and the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) is a stage of democracy that must be passed after the simultaneous elections on 17 April 2019. The next stage is the inauguration of the president and vice president on Sunday, 20 October 2019. All who declare themselves to be democrats, who believe in democracy as the only rule of play, must respect the voice of the people in the 17 April, 2019 elections. There must be no other thoughts or actions that go against the Constitution and nullify the voices of the people that have been presented through the election.

In welcoming the new House for the 2019-2024 term — even though some of them are old House members — there are always new hopes. How does the House reflect and inspect or repent because its actions have so far denied the people\'s voice? Although the performance of the House in the 2014-2019 term was not poor, existing data can justify that assessment.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

House of Representatives members Desy Ratnasari (left) and Mulan Jameela (right), greet each other at a ceremony for the inauguration of members of the House, People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) for the 2019-2024 period at the Senayan legislative complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (1/10/2019).

Within a period of five years (2014-2019), the House speaker had changed three times from Setya Novanto to Ade Komarudin, Ade to Setya and Setya to Bambang Soesatyo. The House speaker and the deputy speaker went to prison on charges of corruption. The House\'s legislation product is also very low. The lawmaking target set out in the National Legislation Program was not achieved. Within five years, the House was only able to complete 75 laws out of the target of 249 bills in the National Legislation Program. The September 2019 Kompas Survey showed that 62.9 percent of respondents felt that their aspirations were not represented by the House. At the end of its term, the House even created a controversial legislation that triggered mass protests.

For this reason, reflection, introspection or repentance by the House is needed. The House members must realize that they are the people\'s representatives, and of course they must fight for the people\'s aspirations and interests. They are the elected ones, elected by the people, paid by the people to speak. The job of the House is to speak. Speaking at the House is an exertion of power, working on power, processing power to achieve goals. It is incomprehensible if members of the House never speak at all about exercising power.

The power of speech for the interests of the people is the essence of the House. A member of the House must have compassion for the people, have political sensibility and technical abilities. In this digital age, in the “always online” generation, developing compassion, engagement with people is not difficult.

The House must realize that it was born from the womb of the people. Ignoring the people\'s voice and favoring the interests of the oligarchy is certainly a big deviation. The public hopes for the presence of a modern House that has a passion for the interests of the people. Happy working.