PDIP Supports State Policy Guidelines but Rejects Constitutional Amendment

Deputy Secretary General of PDIP, Utut Adianto, has acknowledged that his party supports the ratification of the State Policy Guidelines (PPHN), whose deliberation has now been completed and is ready to proceed to the next stage.

Utut explained that PDIP was one of the main driving forces behind the PPHN’s ratification. The party wants to ensure programme continuity across every change of government.

“The PPHN was indeed one of our primary driving forces. The concept is that, unlike in the past, the state policy guidelines cannot be interrupted simply because of a change of president,” Utut said at the parliament complex on Friday (14/8).

Nevertheless, he said, PDIP rejects the option of ratification through an amendment to the 1945 Constitution. However, Utut did not disclose the reason for rejecting that option.

“We clearly support it, we will safeguard it, there is no need for an amendment,” he said.

To date, the MPR has opened three options for regulating the PPHN: through a constitutional amendment, through a law, and through an MPR decree. Among the three, the amendment option is the strongest.

Deputy Speaker of the MPR Eddy Soeparno said that the amendment and MPR decree options are the ones most seriously considered.

Meanwhile, the remaining option, through a law, is considered weak because it lacks strong legal standing.

“A law can of course be brought to the Constitutional Court if there is a dispute concerning it, and even by, for example, the head of state or subsequent governments, changes could be made,” he said.

In addition to PDIP, the Democratic Party faction also rejects the amendment option for ratifying the PPHN. MPR member from the Democratic faction, Benny Kabur Harman, said that his party has held discussions on the PPHN. The Democratic Party, he said, proposes that the PPHN be regulated simply through an MPR decree.

“The Democrats are of the view that the establishment of the PPHN does not require a constitutional amendment,” Benny said at the parliament complex on Tuesday (11/8).

“If the PPHN is to be established, it can be done through an MPR decree,” he added.