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Indonesia House of People's Representatives (DPR)
Legislative authority is constitutionally vested in the
House
of People's Representatives (often shortened to House of
Representatives or DPR). This 500-member body meets
annually,
opening on August 16, the eve of National Day when the
president
delivers his National Day speech. Four hundred of the DPR
seats
are electorally contested by the three political parties
(Golkar,
PPP, and PDI) in provincial constituencies, which in the
1987
general election were based on a population ratio of
approximately 1 representative per 400,000 people. Each
administrative territorial district (kabupaten) is
guaranteed at least one representative no matter what its
population. A further 100 seats are allocated to military
representatives who are appointed on the recommendation of
ABRI.
The justification for the ABRI faction is that since
members of
the armed forces cannot take part in elections, their
political
rights as a sociopolitical and defense force were served
through
guaranteed DPR seats. Faced with civilian resentment about
the
privileged position of ABRI in the parliamentary bodies,
Suharto
warned that denying the military legitimate input into the
legislative process could lead to a coup. However, in his
1992
National Day speech, Suharto conceded that the number of
guaranteed ABRI seats could be adjusted.
The DPR is led by a speaker elected from the
membership. From
1988 to 1992, this position was filled by Lieutenant
General
(retired) Kharis Suhud, who in the previous session was
leader of
the ABRI faction. Work is organized through eleven
permanent
committees, each with a specific functional area of
governmental
affairs. The legislative process begins with the
submission by
the government of a bill to the DPR. Although members can
initiate a bill, it must be accompanied by an explanatory
memorandum signed by at least thirty legislators. Before a
bill
is approved, it must have four readings unless excepted by
the
DPR Steering Committee. The first reading is its
introduction in
an open plenary session. This reading is followed by a
general
debate in open plenary session with the government's right
of
reply. The bill is then discussed in committee with the
government or initiating members. The final discussion of
the
draft legislation takes place in open plenary session,
after
which the DPR makes its decision. The deliberations of the
DPR
are designed to produce consensus. It is the political
preference
of the leadership to avoid overt expressions of less than
complete support. This position is justified by the claim
of a
cultural predisposition to avoid, if possible, votes in
which
majority-minority opposing positions are recorded. If
votes are
necessary, however, a quorum requires a two-thirds
majority. On
issues of nomination and appointment voting is by secret
ballot
but on all other matters by show of hands.
With the built-in Golkar-ABRI faction absolute
majority, the
DPR has routinely approved government legislation. During
Suharto's fifth term (1988-93), however, with the
appearance of
many younger DPR members, there was a new willingness to
use the
forum for fuller and more forthright discussions of public
issues
and policies, even by Golkar members. This openness
paralleled a
similar trend toward greater openness in nonlegislative
elite
circles that seemingly had received government
encouragement.
Part of the discussion inside and outside of the DPR had
to do
with increasing the role and institutional capability of
the
parliament in order to enhance political participation.
Data as of November 1992
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