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DPD told to stay away from political affiliations
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All ready: Lawmakers are pictured inside the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly (DPR/MPR) complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta. (Tempo/-)
T
he Regional Representatives Council (DPD) should stay away from political affiliations otherwise it could lose its legitimacy as the representative of provinces, an expert has said.
Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) director Titi Anggraini said there should be a strict line between the political representation, handled under the House of Representatives, and the regional representation, which is under the command of the DPD.
More than half of the 132 DPD members officially join political parties, primarily the Hanura Party. Newly-elected Hanura chairman Oesman Sapta Odang, who is also on the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), is set to run for a DPD leadership position in an election scheduled for this month.
“It’s fine if DPD members are politicians or have an affiliation with political parties, but when they enter the DPD, they should cut their political affiliation and any position in the parties because they will become representatives of regions, not political parties,” Titi said.
She further said the current condition, in which the DPD was being dominated by political powers, had tainted the council’s existence and weaken the public’s trust.
On the other hand, she further said, the country’s Constitution did not prohibit DPD members from joining political parties. “Actually, there’s a big problem in Indonesia regarding this regulation, but politicians have just played it down,” Titi said. (ebf)
