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Jokowi, PDI-P at odds over Constitution

Amid efforts by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to push a controversial plan to amend the 1945 Constitution, restoring the People’s Consultative Assembly’s (MPR) position as the highest lawmaking institution in the country, party member President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has hinted that he objects to the idea

Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, August 16, 2019

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Jokowi, PDI-P at odds over Constitution

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span>Amid efforts by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to push a controversial plan to amend the 1945 Constitution, restoring the People’s Consultative Assembly’s (MPR) position as the highest lawmaking institution in the country, party member President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has hinted that he objects to the idea.

The MPR has been discussing “limited amendments” to the Constitution since 2014, one focus of which was to reinstate the now-defunct policy framework for long-term development plans (GBHN). The PDI-P has also spearheaded the revision, including it in its recent congress recommendation along with a majority of political parties at the House of Representatives.

The amendment would grant the MPR a greater mandate that it currently has to draft the GBHN for the President to follow the development plan and sanction the latter for failing to implement it.

Despite parties having argued that their sole aim was to reinstate the GBHN, concerns have been raised that if the amendment was realized, the MPR’s power to control the government would be restored. With greater power, it is also feared that the MPR would have the authority to appoint a president and vice president, a system that was sustained for more than three decades under the former dictator Soeharto’s New Order regime.

Jokowi said on Wednesday that he would not support the amendment if it was aimed at changing the electoral system. He indicated his opposition to the MPR having the authority to appoint the nation’s president, signaling his support for the people’s right to directly elect their leader.

“I am [a president] directly elected by the people, why would I support [the plan for] the MPR to appoint a president,” Jokowi told a group of chief editors, including The Jakarta Post’s, on Wednesday.

Jokowi also appeared to indicate his opposition to reinstating the GBHN, saying that the country already had Law No. 25 on national development planning.

PDI-P deputy secretary-general Ahmad Basarah argued the GBHN was an important aspect to manage the country, citing that after the Reform Era, the central and regional administration’s regulations were often overlapping and not in one direction.

Making the MPR the highest institution was important in the state administration considering that MPR was the representation of political parties in the House and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).

In order to pave the way for its political agenda, the PDI-P has also opened the possibility of cooperation with other parties in making the MPR leadership package in exchange for support for the plan.

The winning party of the 2019 elections also said it was not after the MPR speaker position.

“The PDI-P does not want to be trapped solely in a race for the MPR speaker and deputy speaker posts, because our concern is the agenda, the program,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad, who currently serves as one of the deputy chairpersons of the MPR, claimed all the 10 factions in the House had agreed to revive the GBHN through the limited amendment.

He brushed off concerns over MPR authority, claiming that their agenda would not recommend a change in the presidential election system and that the party would remain in support of direct election by the people for the top executive’s position.

Gerindra, meanwhile, has openly stated its support. Gerindra central executive board head Ahmad Riza Patria also echoed that the GBHN was important to manage the country’s development.

“We believe the objective is positive,” he said.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla and some experts have voiced concerns that changing one aspect of the Constitution would be like opening Pandora’s Box, which could lead to changes in other aspects, including withdrawing the citizens’ right to vote.

According to a proposal drafted by the MPR assessment agency, a team jointly established by the DPD and four political party factions at the House, two options are available to allow for the change, namely amending the constitution to grant the MPR the authority to issue the guidelines through an MPR decree, or inserting the concept of GBHN-like guidelines into an article of the Constitution.

The two largest political factions at the House, the PDI-P and the Golkar Party, had supported the first proposal.

Golkar politician Bambang Soesatyo argued that not only was the GBHN a key point to be revived, but it was also important that a New Order-like electoral system was on the amendment agenda. The House speaker said the current presidential election system had more disadvantages than advantages.

“We don’t need to be pretentious in applying democracy like the western countries. We have our own culture. Our goal is to carry out democracy for the people’s prosperity. It has to be changed if it causes conflicts among the people itself,” Bambang said.

The National Awakening Party’s (PKB) deputy secretary-general Daniel Johan also claimed the party supported the discourse, saying that the amendment would be discussed openly.

He said no one should also worry that someone has a hidden agenda within the amendment

“Of course there is no hidden intention, everything will be discussed openly and deeply,” he said.

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