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House leader’s executive upstaging courts new House controversy
The House deputy speaker's recent encroachment into the role of presidential spokesperson has blurred the line between the legislative and executive branches toward potentially quashing the checks and balances that prevent "constitutional chaos", according to obervers.
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House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad of the Gerindra Party (center, on dais) presides over a plenary session on March 5, 2024, at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
T
he House of Representatives is courting another major controversy after Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, an ally of President Prabowo Subianto, took a leading role in clarifying government policies, challenging the separation of powers that have defined Indonesia’s democracy.
The House recently faced an allegation of legislative overreach for revising internal rules to include a new provision that gives them the authority to “periodically evaluate” government appointees confirmed by the legislature.
The change makes it easier for the House to dismiss government officials, by circumventing a series of laws that establish requirements for dismissing officials and safeguard the independence of state institutions.
Pro-democracy advocates are now worried at how Dasco has assumed a leading role in handling public backlash over the government’s policies, blurring the distinction between the legislative and executive branches.
As a longtime aide to Prabowo and a senior executive in his Gerindra Party, Dasco has for years spearheaded the party’s strategic planning and key agendas.
Presidential speaker?
Dasco took a prominent role in communicating to the public last week, when a decision by Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to ban small retailers from selling subsidized cooking gas caused a shortage and sparked anger among millions of eligible households.
