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PDI-P puts brakes on plan to amend Constitution
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A plenary meeting of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) is held in Jakarta on Oct. 3, 2019. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has suspended its push for a constitutional amendment to strengthen the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) following a controversial proposal from other members of the ruling coalition to delay the 2024 elections.
Several prominent coalition figures had proposed the election delay and the extension of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s term beyond 2024, changes that would require a constitutional amendment.
The PDI-P, of which President Jokowi is a member, has strongly rejected these proposals, despite apparent support for them from the President’s inner circle and the Golkar Party, the nation’s second-largest party.
In an about-face, the PDI-P called on Wednesday for a pause on its own initiative to amend the 1945 Constitution to grant the MPR greater power to formulate and enforce “state policy guidelines” intended to set the country’s long-term development priorities, an authority similar to one held by the institution under the Soeharto regime.
"As chairman of the PDI-P faction in the MPR, I have given direction to the MPR assessment agency to continue studies […] to develop the concept of state policy guidelines in a more substantive and comprehensive manner as recommendation materials for the MPR’s incoming period," Ahmad Basarah told reporters.
"Amendments to the 1945 Constitution should not be carried out while the nation’s psychological state is not conducive [to such changes] – in which there exists suspicion of fellow components of the nation and of the interests of certain individuals and groups," Basarah said.
He said the MPR remained committed to discussing the substance of the state policy guidelines but would produce only a recommendation that the assembly would consider in its next sitting period.
