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.
The murky waters swirling around the House's right of inquiry
The House needs to break out of its inertia and take decisive action now, lest its hesitancy in exercising its right of inquiry casts a pall over Indonesian democracy as a whole, in the present and for the foreseeable future.
Change Size
No smoke without fire: Protesters from various groups burn tires as they rally outside the House of Representatives on March 3, 2024 to support the House’s inquiry into alleged election fraud. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
The discourse on the House of Representatives’ right of inquiry into alleged election fraud has become a focal point of Indonesian politics, highlighting a complex interplay of indecision, strategic maneuvering and a concerning absence of resolve.
The unfolding narrative in House plenary sessions, particularly with parties like the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) voicing their support for launching the inquiry, presents a convoluted landscape.
Meanwhile, the silence from the NasDem Party (National Democratic Party) and the United Development Party (PPP) has added another layer of opacity to the proceedings.
The pivotal issue centers around the ruling PDI-P, which shoulders the heaviest responsibility in advancing the House inquiry, which was initially raised by PDI-P presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo shortly after the quick count results showed Prabowo Subianto was poised to win the Feb. 14 election.
The political dynamics are clear: All parties, including the PDI-P, are assessing the pros and cons and engaging in behind-the-scenes lobbying and elite negotiations. This cautious approach to the issue raises a critical question: If the necessity for an inquiry is recognized, why the hesitation?
The PDI-P previously expressed its readiness to assume the role of the opposition in the next government, so in theory, this should prompt it to take decisive action vis-à-vis an inquiry. Yet the reality presents a contrasting picture: The PDI-P faction in the House has not moved to gather support for the legislature to exercise its right.
This lack of clear direction from the PDI-P further complicates the path forward, leaving observers and stakeholders with doubt over the party's strategy and commitment to a potential inquiry.
