Right Now: the Worst MPR Performance
Friday, 19 January, 2007 | 11:43 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) is right now only history’s romanticism. This institution is maintained only for the sake of nostalgia and its functions are not clear. “This is the worst in the years of history, as it has no work schedule,” said Saldi Isra, a lecturer of Andalas University, Padang, during a hearing with the Regional Representatives Assembly (DPD) Legal Steering Committee.

In order to make MPR effective, Saldi suggested MPR becomes a joint session institution between the House of Representatives (DPR) and DPD. According to Saldi, MPR’s duty is actually incidental. MPR can be maintained as a state institution symbol, but not as a third chamber and a rival of DPD and DPR. “Now it’s a third chamber,” he said.

By joint session, inefficiency can be eliminated. At least there will not be two presidents, state-of-the-nation address sessions, which is always turmoil every year. The address can be conveyed in a joint session or DPR and DPD are invited to the Presidential palace to listen to it.

Now MPR’s existence is ambiguous. He cited, someone is inaugurated as a DPR or DPD member and the person is then also installed as an MPR member. “That will not be necessary any more if there is a joint session. If someone is re-called as a DPR member, he will be re-called as an MPR member. A certain code of conduct is also not necessary,” he said.

AQIDA