TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Power struggle made simple: More MPR speaker posts planned to please all parties
Lawmakers look set to go ahead with a plan to revise the Legislative Institutions Law, which regulates the number of leadership posts in the legislative bodies, amid criticism regarding the matter’s urgency.
Change Size
Red carpet is rolled out at the lobby of Gedung Nusantara III, which houses the offices of the legislative leaders at the House of Representatives in Senayan, Central Jakarta. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
Lawmakers look set to go ahead with a plan to revise the Legislative Institutions Law, which regulates the number of leadership posts in the legislative bodies, amid criticism regarding the matter’s urgency.
Critics say the revision of the law, known as the MD3 Law, is simply aimed at power-sharing among the political parties. Through their cadres at the House of Representatives (DPR), the political parties intend to increase the number of leadership seats at the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) from five to 10.
The increase reflects the desire of the politicians to give MPR speaker posts to all nine political parties that secured legislative seats at the House for the 2019-2024 term. Yet, the politicians argued the higher number of leadership seats would strengthen the MPR.
A draft for the planned revision now lies at the House’s Legislation Body (Baleg), which is tasked with preparing any draft law for further deliberation.
The National Mandate Party (PAN), the Gerindra Party and the United Development Party (PPP) are among the proponent of the move to increase the number of MPR speaker positions. PAN and Gerindra are in the opposition group, which supported Prabowo Subianto in the April election.
All political parties in the ruling coalition, except for the PPP, are against the idea, saying it would be better if the law remained unchanged.
