Scholar says MPR must strengthen its power<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): A scientist has proposed that the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR), the highest law-making body in
\nIndonesia, expand its power to help promote democracy.<\/p>\n
Moersidin Moeklas said the Assembly should have the authority
\nto distribute power to lower state institutions so that the power
\nis not concentrated in the hands of the President.<\/p>\n
Lower state institutions are not strong enough to assume their
\nchecks-and-balances function, he said.<\/p>\n
"The Assembly should give more power to state administrators
\nsuch as the Supreme Advisory Council, the House of
\nRepresentatives, the Supreme Audit Agency and the Supreme Court
\nso that each can be strong enough to exercise their power," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Moersidin, a law teacher at Banda Aceh's Syah Kuala
\nUniversity, made the remarks while defending his doctoral
\ndissertation at Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
His dissertation discusses the position of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly with respect to the 1945 Constitution.
\nMoersidin's performance was rated by the jury as "satisfactory."<\/p>\n
"Under the current system, most power goes to the President.
\nTherefore, it is not surprising for observers to find that all
\nlegislation seems to strengthen the President's position," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"In other words, the assembly gives the President a dominant
\nrole in state affairs," he added.<\/p>\n
Under the current system, the Assembly gives the President the
\nmandate to carry out state policy guidelines.<\/p>\n
"In fact, other institutions which are structurally at the
\nsame level as the President also implement the state policy
\nguidelines mandated by the Assembly," he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the existing laws dealing with the
\nAssembly's authority rigidly refer to the 1945 Constitution and
\nare not flexible enough to be adjusted to current demands. In
\naddition, the laws do not give the Assembly the authority to
\ndistribute power to lower high state institutions.<\/p>\n
Moersidin proposed that the new Assembly members selected
\nafter the 1997 general election be allowed to reformulate the
\nAssembly's roles and authority.<\/p>\n
Cynics have branded the Assembly and the lower House of
\nRepresentatives as rubber stamp institutions eager to back the
\nbureaucracy and unable to defend the people's interests.
\n(har\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/scholar-says-mpr-must-strengthen-its-power-1447893297",
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