Tough Test for People\'s Representatives

In the midst of various promises to meet the challenge, several legislators immediately started lobbying for a number of positions in the legislature.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung (second left) pose for a photograph with members of the House of Representatives (from left to right), Asman Abnur, Zulkifli Hasan, Bambang Soesatyo and Puan Maharani, at a ceremony for the inauguration of members of the DPR, 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).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Members of the People\'s Consultative Assembly (MPR), the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) for the 2019-2024 period were sworn in on Tuesday (1/10/2019) at the legislative complex in Jakarta. Improving their image and regaining public trust will be major challenges that must be addressed immediately.

After being sworn in on Tuesday morning, members of the House of Representatives (DPR) attended a plenary session for the inauguration of Puan Maharani as speaker of the DPR and four deputy speakers, namely Aziz Syamsuddin (Golkar Party), Sufmi Dasco Ahmad (Gerindra), Rachmat Gobel (NasDem), and Muhaimin Iskandar (National Awakening Party).

The DPD also determined the leadership for each of its sub-regions. They are Sultan Bahtiar Najamuddin from the western sub-region I, La Nyalla Mattalitti (western sub-region II), Mahyudin (eastern sub-region I) and Nono Sampono (eastern sub-region II).

Through a vote last night, La Nyalla was elected the speaker of the DPD, while three other people were chosen as the deputy speakers.

Meanwhile, Bambang Soesatyo of the Golkar Party and Ahmad Muzani of the Gerindra Party are expected to compete fiercely for the position of MPR speaker.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

La Nyalla Mattalitti

People’s home

Tough challenges await the legislators. Polemic surrounding controversial bills, such as the Criminal Code bill, and the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law, both of which triggered a wave of street demonstrations, is one of the things that urgently needs to be addressed. Action from the DPR members concerning a number of recent cases in Papua is also awaited.

Meanwhile, in a Kompas poll conducted on 25-27 September, 53.5 percent of respondents said they doubted that the 2019-2024 DPR would listen to the aspirations of the people.

In the midst of such challenges, in  speech after being appointed DPR speaker, Puan emphasized that the DPR was a house of the people and would be ready to listen to aspirations or accept input from the people.

According to Puan, the collegial collective leadership of the DPR would be realized in the spirit of collaboration and gotong royong (mutual cooperation). "Only with the spirit of mutual cooperation we can optimize our duties as representatives of the people," she said.

By carrying out its function in the fields of legislation, budgeting and supervision, Puan voiced hope that the DPR could realize the objectives of the state, namely to protect the entire nation, advance public welfare, improve the life of the nation and help keep world order.

KOMPAS/PRADIPTA PANDU

Puan Maharani

Saiful Mujani Research Center director Sirojuddin Abbas said Puan and other members of the DPR must fix three basic problems left over by the previous DPR members, namely low public image and trust, lack of performance and lack of productivity.

Puan, Sirojuddin added, must also improve the communication patterns of the DPR with various groups of society, such as intellectuals, civil society organizations and students. "Communication problems, especially with elements of the community, resulted in the performance of the DPR in the previous period being viewed poorly," he said.

If Puan succeeds in overcoming these problems, Sirojuddin said, she would have a better chance of being taken into account in the transition to the national leadership in 2024.

Centre for Strategic and International Studies executive director Philips J. Vermonte said the recent wave of demonstrations related to a number of controversial bills showed there was an absence of connection between the role of DPR representation and its implementation in the field.

"New DPR members are expected to provide fresh blood for the DPR\'s performance in the fields of legislation, budgeting and supervision. However, there is a function that is rarely mentioned, namely representation, which has so far been disregarded," Philips said.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Hillary Brigitta Lasut

The youngest DPR member from the NasDem Party, Hillary Brigitta Lasut, said that improving the DPR\'s image and regaining public trust would be the DPR\'s toughest challenge. In order to meet the challenge, she and several other new young legislators at the DPR organized a legislative caucus.

"These new faces are expected to make a difference in society," said the 23-year-old politician.

Change was also promised by a number of incumbent DPR members, such as Arsul Sani from the United Development Party. "Regarding the performance and function of the legislature, I agree that it must be improved," he said.

Political lobbying

In the midst of various promises to improve the DPR\'s performance and image, a number of lawmakers immediately started lobbying on Tuesday for a number of positions, such as speaker of the MPR and House positions.

Gerindra Party politician Ahmad Muzani, who has been nominated by his party for the MPR leadership, said a collective decision should be made on the position of MPR speaker. "If an agreement is not reached, a vote cannot be avoided," he said.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Supreme Court Chief Justice M Hatta Ali swears in members of the House of Representatives, 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). President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla were present at the inauguration ceremony.

Muzani stressed that in keeping with tradition, the position of MPR speaker should be given to the party that balanced the power in the government coalition, namely the Gerindra Party.

However, a member of the DPR from the Golkar Party, Firman Soebagyo, said his party wanted the position as Golkar won second most votes in the 2019 election. The PDI-P as the election winners won the speakership of the DPR.

(SAN/SHR/BOW/MTK/INA/BKY/NIA/DVD/REK/INK)