Legislators vow to empower DPD
Kurniawan Hari The Jakarta Post Jakarta
As the House of Representatives (DPR) prepares to deliberate the bill on the composition of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the DPR, the Regional Representatives Councils (DPD) and the Regional Legislatures (DPRD), some lawmakers pledged on Wednesday to fight for the empowerment of the DPD.
They stressed that any attempt to make the DPD less powerful than the DPR was ill-conceived as it did not fit with any bicameral parliamentary system commonly practiced in the world.
MPR Regional Representatives Faction (FUD) chairman Oesman Sapta said the DPD should be given more power in legislation and supervision roles.
He said the DPD should be given power to take part in the deliberations of various bills.
"We must not rely on political parties for everything," Oesman said, referring to DPR members who often fought for their respective political interests.
Syafrin Romas of the National Awakening Party (PKB) concurred, saying the DPD and DPR should share equal powers as members of both legislative councils would be elected.
"If we want to adopt the bicameral system, the authority of the DPD and DPR should be equal," he said, adding that Indonesia was half-hearted in adopting the system.
Indonesia decided to adopt the bicameral system when it approved the last amendment to the 1945 Constitution in August, 2002.
The new system will modify the structure of the MPR. Currently the MPR consists of the DPR, regional representatives, the Interest Group as well as the Military and Police, of which only DPR members are elected. Under the bicameral system, the MPR will consist of elected DPR and DPD members.
Both the amended Constitution and the draft bill on the composition of the MPR, DPR, DPRD and DPD prescribe marginal roles for the DPD compared to its counterpart, the DPR.
The DPD's role, for example, is limited to submitting bills and suggestions to the House, but is not involved in deliberations.
The DPD has the right to submit bills, especially those connected to regional autonomy, relations between central and regional administrations, the establishment of new administrations, natural resources management and fiscal balance.
The DPD may also submit input to the DPR on the state budget and bills on taxation, education and religion. All input should be submitted to the DPR before deliberations with government officials begin.
Constitutional experts Harun Alrasyid and Jimly Ashiddiqie criticized the limited role of the DPD, saying the bicameral system Indonesia was going to adopt was not like the system commonly applied in other countries.
One article in the amended Constitution stipulates that the total number of DPD members should not exceed one-third of the DPR members. Currently, there are 500 legislators in the House.
Syafrin said this stipulation had put the DPD in a lower position compared to the DPR. If the legislators had to vote on a certain issue, the DPD's opinion would certainly be defeated, he said.
Oesman said he would call on fellow legislators to empower the DPD, especially by giving its members a chance to take part in the deliberation of the state budget and bills.
Golkar leader Theo L. Sambuaga, meanwhile, said that he agreed with attempts to empower the DPD so it had an equal position with the DPR.
Theo emphasized that clauses in the amended Constitution were subject to revision in the future.
"For now, we have to follow stipulations in the Constitution," he said.