Constitution Day: Lestari Moerdijat Urges Policy Reform to Achieve Social Justice
Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat has urged evaluation and reform of policies in the implementation of the constitution to achieve social justice for all citizens. The message was delivered by Lestari to mark Constitution Day, which is commemorated every 18 August.
“This year’s Constitution Day must serve as a reminder for all elements of the nation of the importance of the legal foundation that has led Indonesia to become an independent and sovereign country,” Lestari said in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday (18/8).
According to her, the ratification of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia by the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence on 18 August 1945 was a historic milestone that laid the foundation for the administration of the state.
Lestari said the theme of the 81st anniversary of Indonesian independence, “Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia”, is in line with the ideals mandated by the constitution. However, she said, the realisation of these ideals in national life still faces a number of serious challenges.
She cited a 2026 Economist Intelligence Unit report stating that Indonesia’s Democracy Index score has declined over the past four years, from 6.71 in 2022 to 6.37 in 2025. With this achievement, Indonesia remains in the flawed democracy category.
A similar situation, Lestari said, is also reflected in a V-Dem Institute report that places Indonesia in the electoral autocracy category and indicates that elections have not yet been fully fair and that the political competition arena is not yet level.
“This is an alarm for all of us. Our constitution guarantees protection for all citizens and mandates social justice. However, the data shows that our democratic space is actually narrowing,” she said.
The member of House of Representatives Commission X encouraged continued reconstruction of the constitutional design to ensure that the presidential system with checks and balances mechanisms works in practice.
“We must ensure that existing policies truly help the state deliver social justice for all people, and that the fruits of development can be enjoyed by all levels of society,” she said.
In addition, the legislator from Central Java electoral district II reminded the public of the importance of education about constitutional rights and obligations and encouraged active participation in overseeing the running of government.
Lestari also stressed the importance of maintaining the spirit of nationhood amid differences and various challenges in social, national, and state life.
“Indonesia was founded not because we are all the same, but because we all agreed to share the same ‘home’. Our constitution is a guarantee for all the nation’s children to live in harmony within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” she said.