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span class="inline inline-left">JP/Arief SuhardimanIrman Gusman has a smile for everyone he meets, no matter how busy he is as chairman of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).

State ceremonies and international, national and regional events fill Irman’s schedule as he works on his “diplomatic mission” to seek broader support for the council.

His wife and children often complain that Irman has put family life on the backburner due to his busy days and late nights at the office.

Irman uses a personal and diplomatic touch when talking to the nation’s power elite. He says the system must be reinvigorated, starting with the legislature, to create a government that can work effectively on the nation’s problems.

“It’s too petty and short if I pursued my personal interests in the political stage. We have no other alternative but to deploy a personal approach to secure political support for another amendment to the 1945 Constitution for our common goals,” he told The Jakarta Post at his office here recently.

Irman, born in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra in 1962, said that neither he nor his fellow councilors wanted another failure in amending the Constitution, as happened in 2008.

Irman was the youngest member of the DPD when he was elected in 1999. Currently DPD chairman, a post he has held since 2004, he applies a different strategy from that of his predecessor, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, in fighting for the institution.

DPD members have intensified their lobbying at every level, from state institutions to political parties, in their drive to amend the Constitution before the end of the year.

“’It is now or never. Tomorrow will be too late’,” Irman said, quoting Elvis Presley’s hit song.

“The idea of an amendment has won a green light almost from all sides, including the President, political parties that have seats in the People’s Consultative Assembly [MPR], civil society groups, experts and regional administrations.”

According to Irman, it would be too late to amend the Constitution after 2012, as all players, including the nation’s biggest political parties, would shift their focus to preparations for the legislative and presidential election in 2014.

After preparing the draft amendment’s key points and discussing them with the political elite, the DPD is garnering the support of regional representative councilors needed to convene the MPR for a special session to consider the amendment this year.

Irman said he was optimistic. He had the signatures of 130 of 132 regional representatives on a petition backing the amendment. Now he needs 105 more signatures from lawmakers in the House of Representatives (DPR).

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), led former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, and the Democratic Party, led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, would likely follow suit with the DPD, Irman said.

Both parties opposed the amendment in 2008.

However, Irman said he was unsure if every party would voluntarily agree with the amendment, although all have expressed a desire to forge a stronger political system to improve the people’s welfare and upholding justice.

Hoping to entice political elites and civil society groups to support the Constitutional amendment, Irman said it was important to strengthen the presidential system by allowing the nomination of independent candidates in presidential elections.

To do so, the nation would need to amend the Article 22D of the Constitution, giving the DPD an equal legislative role to the House to uphold bicameralism and create a check-and-balance mechanism in the legislature, Irman said.

Government hierarchy should also be reinstated to strengthen regional autonomy, he added, and all state commissions had to be empowered.

“The article on human rights in the Constitution needs revision to give a certain emphasis on all citizens’ rights. The economy needs a redefinition to underline the economic development program’s goals for the people’s social welfare.”

“The core problem is not the key issues to be amended, but the sincere statesmanship of all components in the nation to reach a national consensus to better the political system.”

Irman admitted he disliked a frontal approach in fighting for the Constitutional amendment, as was done previously.

He said instead, he preferred to speak with relevant figures as circumstances permitted, while working harder to fight for regional interests through the law- and policy-making process in the legislature.

The DPD was currently powerless, he said. Regional representatives are allowed only to give considerations of bills proposed by the House, without any rights to include regional interests in the laws.

“Indonesia has no need to adopt federalism, but all state institutions should be empowered in accordance with their own roles. In this case, the DPD has an urgent interest to revise its legislative right to help produce quality laws and ensure a check-and-balance mechanism in the legislature,” he said.