Politicians Scramble for MPR Speakership

Driven by partisan interests, the political elite are scrambling to compete for the speakership of the MPR. Many are hoping that this will not undermine the MPR’s role as the state’s highest political body.

ANTARA FOTO/M RISYAL HIDAYAT

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

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The political elite lobbied intensively on Wednesday (2/10/2019) as they battled one another for the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speakership. Many politicians view the MPR speakership as important in gaining the political stage for the 2024 general election and to push for partisan interests, including in the plans to amend the Constitution and reinstate the State Guidelines (GBHN).

The selection of the MPR speaker will take place during a hearing on Thursday. Bambang Soesatyo from the Golkar Party and Ahmad Muzani from Gerindra are the two leading candidates for the position. If the discussion on the appointment fails, the MPR speaker will be chosen through a vote.

On Wednesday evening, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) appointed senior politician Fadel Muhammad as its MPR representative. Fadel secured 59 votes, ahead of Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas (46 votes), Yorrys Raweyai (16) and Dedi Iskandar Batubara (5).

The MPR is to have 10 leaders: one each from the nine party factions and one from the DPD.

Kompas

Fadel Muhammad

Partisanship

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Syarif Hidayat said that the politicians were scrambling for the MPR speakership to push their political interests for 2024. “After the House of Representatives leaders are chosen, party figures are virtually left with only a chance at [a chair in] the MPR leadership. The struggle for the MPR leadership is a compromise between the political parties in the House and between regions in the DPD,” he said.

The polemic over the MPR’s authority, the limited amendment to the 1945 Constitution and reviving the GBHN had caused the political parties to view the MPR speakership as a vital position.

Political Literacy Institute executive director Gun Gun Heryanto said that the struggle for the MPR speakership and the various interests involved showed the dominance of elite interests in the nation’s political discourse.

Gun Gun said that the dominance of elite interests was already evident in the decision to have 10 MPR leadership seats, so that all factions in the House and the DPD would be given space.

Amid the competing elite interests, many were hoping that the MPR leaders would prioritize the public interest and strengthen the MPR’s role as a state legislative body, including by reaffirming the four pillars of nationalism: Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

“In legislative bodies, there must be no gap between legislation and the people’s will. If this happens, the legislative bodies will be strengthening oligarchy instead of consolidating democracy,” said Gun Gun.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

The chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), La Nyalla Mattalitti (third left), accompanied by DPD deputy chairmen Sultan Bachtiar, Nono Sampono and Mahyudin (left to right), presides over a plenary session to appoint a representative of DPD members who will sit in the leadership of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) at the Senayan legislative complex, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (1/10/2019). Their representative will be proposed at the MPR plenary meeting.

Meanwhile, the political elite are making various attempts at lobbying to secure the MPR speakership.

Gerindra’s Andre Rosiade said that Bambang Soesatyo had lobbied all faction secretaries to support his bid for the MPR speakership. However, Gerindra was also lobbying other factions to secure Ahmad Muzani’s selection as MPR speaker.

“Now, we are trying to find a middle ground through deliberation. We are hoping for the best,” said House legislator Ahmad Riza Patria of the Gerindra faction.

House legislator Trimedya Panjaitan, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri would determine the party’s stance in the MPR speakership election.

Deliberations

Nasdem Party secretary-general Jhonny Plate expressed his hope that the MPR speaker would be appointed through consensual deliberation. “Choosing the MPR speaker through a vote will undermine the spirit of reform of the Legislative Bodies Law,” he said.

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).

Meanwhile, a debate emerged during a meeting to decide on the DPD’s candidate for the MPR speakership. The debate argued about the interpretation of Article 165 of DPD Code of Conduct No. 2/2019, which stipulates that the DPD’s candidate for the MPR speakership must have never violated the code of ethics.

DPD member Jimly Asshidiqie of Jakarta said that the rules should not be changed just to appease certain people. DPD member Fachrul Razi of Aceh said that the DPD’s four MPR speaker nominees fulfilled the stipulation.

(REK/SAN)