Bamsoet Urges MPR to be More Assertive and Act as Guardian of National Consensus

Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet), a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Golkar Party, believes that the MPR must be more ‘assertive’ in enforcing the constitution. He also requested that the MPR be strengthened as a guardian of national consensus and the direction of long-term development.

Bamsoet made these remarks while receiving a book writing team for the ‘History of the MPR’ from the MPR Secretariat General and a research team from the University of Indonesia (UI) in Jakarta on Thursday (17/09/2026). Bamsoet stated that his experience leading the MPR during the 2019-2024 period showed that the institution faced various challenges.

“I view the consolidation of the MPR following the 2019 Election as a transition phase from competitive politics to deliberative politics. The hardening electoral polarisation demands a platform for reconsolidation at the level of state institutions. In this regard, the MPR is an institution that bears the function of reweaving people’s sovereignty within the framework of the constitution,” said Bamsoet.

He noted that following the 2019 Election, political polarisation remained very strong within society. Therefore, the MPR implemented a national ‘silaturahmi’ (reconciliation) approach by meeting with the President, Vice President, leaders of state institutions, political party chairpersons, religious leaders, community figures, and academics.

The goal, according to Bamsoet, was to rebuild communication between elites and establish the MPR as a ‘national house’. This approach was used to absorb views regarding the future of democracy, the constitution, and the concept of the PPHN (State Policy Guidelines).

“I want to return the MPR to its historical role as a national house, a place where various thoughts and interests can sit as equals. Therefore, I chose to visit directly, listen, and seek the views of national figures regarding strategic agendas such as the amendment of the 1945 Constitution, the strengthening of the democratic system, and the restructuring of national life following identity politics. For me, this is part of the process of re-binding the collective memory of national leadership with today’s constitutional challenges,” said Bamsoet.

The Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) added that another challenge arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the MPR to change its way of working.

He stated that the MPR’s operations had to adapt to physical restrictions and health protocols. He noted that the MPR continued to perform its constitutional functions, including the Annual Session.

He remarked that this experience accelerated the digitalisation of institutional work, though it also demonstrated that technology has limitations when faced with political deliberation processes that require deep dialogue and trust-building.

“Leading the MPR during the pandemic was a very different experience from my initial expectations when I accepted the mandate as Chairman of the MPR. Suddenly, the entire institutional work system, which relied on physical presence, had to be adjusted to strict health protocols. However, it was precisely there that I felt the deepest meaning of the MPR’s constitutional function, namely how to continue executing the mandate of people’s sovereignty in an emergency situation without sacrificing the safety of the people themselves,” Bamsoet explained.

Bamsoet stated that among all the agendas undertaken by the MPR during the 2019-2024 period, the PPHN was one of the intellectual legacies with the longest process. He stated that the PPHN is necessary to ensure that national development has a continuous direction across different administrations.

Furthermore, Bamsoet said that the PPHN was designed to be in line with the presidential system following the amendment of the 1945 Constitution, respecting the President’s direct mandate while maintaining the principle of checks and balances.

However, he noted that at the end of the 2019-2024 MPR term, the PPHN had not yet reached a final decision in the Plenary Session. At that time, the MPR presented it as a recommendation for the 2024-2029 period.

“For me, the primary urgency of the PPHN arises from the need to ensure continuity and coherence in the direction of national development across leadership changes. Without a clear long-term state policy framework, every change in government has the potential to change priorities drastically, leading to development discontinuity that harms the nation in the long run,” said Bamsoet.

The Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Unpad Law Doctorate Alumni Association stated that the measure of success for MPR leadership cannot solely be seen through the number of decisions made during one term. In his view, what is more important is whether the MPR is able to leave behind ideas that can be continued by subsequent generations and leadership periods.

“The most important achievement for me was keeping the MPR relevant as a deliberative institution amidst a very dynamic national situation, including the pandemic, political polarisation, and global changes. At the same time, we also succeeded in preparing several institutional legacies, ranging from strengthening the MPR’s function to the idea of a World MPR Forum and the draft of the PPHN. Moving forward, I see the MPR must be positioned as the guardian of the nation’s grand direction. The MPR needs to become a strategic consensus node that ensures national development remains consistent with the 1945 Constitution, Pancasila, and the long-term interests of the nation,” concluded Bamsoet.