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EDITORIAL: Deteriorating DPD
The most recent and probably embarrassing divide plaguing the councillors simply underlines their incapability in articulating the interests of the people who voted for them.
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Tough debate: A Regional Representatives Council (DPD) member from East Java, Ahmad Nawardi (center), conveys his opinion during a plenary meeting on April 3. (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)
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ince its inception almost 20 years ago the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) has played second fiddle in national politics, regardless of the fact that all its members have greater legitimacy than their more powerful colleagues in the 560-seat legislature. But the most recent and probably embarrassing divide plaguing the councillors simply underlines their incapability in articulating the interests of the people who voted for them.
Far from giving a lesson of statesmanship to the public, the DPD, in the latest episode in a series of infighting, shows that power, however small, is all that matters amid its constitutional responsibility in promoting regional autonomy and strengthening checks and balances as a legislative branch of power.
Regretfully, the Supreme Court as the last bastion of justice and holder of judiciary power has aggravated the internal conflict within the DPD. On behalf of Supreme Court Chief Justice Hatta Ali, who is on the minor haj, deputy chief justice Suwardi inaugurated Oesman Sapta Odang as the new speaker of the DPD and Nono Sampono and Darmayanti Lubis as his deputies in a session boycotted by many DPD members on Tuesday evening.
The Supreme Court’s recognition of the DPD camp under Oesman is simply unacceptable as it recently revoked a DPD regulation that halved the terms of DPD leaders from five years. As a consequence of the court ruling, which is final and binding, Mohammad Saleh, Farouk Muhammad and Yogyakarta sultana Hemas should have maintained their speaker and deputy speaker posts, respectively, until 2019.
Oesman’s election was really a farce, particularly since a typo in the written court ruling lent it momentum. In one of its considerations, the court referred to the standing order of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD), a trivial mistake that the court insists should not change the spirit of the ruling. But for the Oesman camp, the typo voided the ruling and therefore enabled it to justify electing new leaders.
No one doubts Oesman’s political and financial might. He is listed among the wealthiest people in the country by
Forbes and is an influential player in the current political landscape after recently securing the chief post of the Hanura Party, one of the parties that endorsed Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who won the 2014 presidential election.
