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Fresh call for constitutional amendment splits House
House lawmakers are split over the latest call to amend the Constitution made by Amien Rais, a former MPR speaker and staunch Jokowi critic, with those in opposition warning of democratic backsliding and Prabowo's Gerindra yet to indicate its stance.
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An election worker holds up a ballot paper for the presidential election at a warehouse on Jan. 9, 2024 in Pulogadung, Jakarta. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
T
he latest proposal to amend the 1945 Constitution has split political parties in the House of Representatives, with some backing the idea to make the country’s foundational document more relevant to present-day challenges and others fearing an amendment could exacerbate democratic backsliding in Indonesia.
The proposal gained traction after People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo, a Golkar Party politician, reportedly stated last week that all House factions would support a constitutional amendment that scrapped direct presidential elections after reflecting on the “brutal” polls in February.
The direct elections are seen by many as a hard-won victory for Indonesian democracy following decades of indirect elections during Soeharto’s New Order regime, under which the MPR had the sole authority to elect the country’s leader.
But Bambang appeared to retract his earlier statement on Saturday, after his official visit to the National Awakening Party (PKB).
“[We didn’t say] that we’ve decided to amend anything, let alone change the presidential election system. We’re only conveying various aspirations we’ve received,” Bambang told a press briefing on Saturday, saying that his statement last week had been taken out of context.
He added that it would be impossible for MPR members to amend the Constitution in the four months they had left in office.
Read also: Lawmakers demand Elections Law amendment after court ruling
