GKR Hemas: DPD to Host Joint Session, Amplifying Regional Voices in National Policy
The Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) is preparing to host the Joint Session with the House of Representatives (DPR RI) to listen to the State Address of the President of the Republic of Indonesia on 14 August 2026, ahead of the 81st Independence Day celebrations. The DPD RI’s role as host of the Joint Session, which alternates with the DPR RI, is mandated by Article 228 of the MD3 Law and reflects the constitutional standing of both parliamentary chambers.
Deputy Speaker of the DPD RI for Regional Autonomy, Politics, and Law, Gusti Kanjeng Ratu (GKR) Hemas, stated that the trust placed in the DPD RI to act as host is not merely an administrative and protocol responsibility. It also serves as a symbol of the increasingly strong role of regional representation in the national democratic process.
“This year’s Joint Session is an important momentum to demonstrate that Indonesia’s development will only succeed if regional aspirations truly become part of the national policy direction. The DPD RI is present to ensure that the voices of the regions do not stop at being mere reports, but become strategic considerations in national decision-making,” she said in Jakarta on Tuesday (11/8/2026).
According to GKR Hemas, the DPD RI’s hosting of the Joint Session carries a broader meaning beyond its ceremonial aspects. This momentum illustrates that the relationship between the central government and the regions is increasingly positioned as the foundation of national development. Amid increasingly complex global challenges, she added, Indonesia requires a governance system capable of making regions strategic partners in development.
She affirmed that the DPD RI wants to ensure that when the President delivers the state address, the nation also sees development from a regional perspective. This includes how national policies impact local communities, how regional disparities are addressed, and how regional autonomy can genuinely produce prosperity.
GKR Hemas noted that over the past year, the DPD RI has consistently carried out its constitutional functions through oversight of law implementation, absorption of regional community aspirations, and intensive consultations with ministries and state institutions. She said these various working meetings have produced numerous recommendations for strengthening regional autonomy and local democracy.