People's Consultative Assembly
The People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia is the Supreme legislative body in Indonesia's political system. It is composed of the members of a lower body, the House of Representatives and an upper body, the Regional Representative Council. Before 2004, and the amendments to the 1945 Constitution, the MPR was the Highest Governing Body in Indonesia.
In accordance with Law No. 16/1960, the assembly was formed after the general election in 1971. It was decided at that time that the membership of the Assembly would be twice that of the House.
The 920 membership of the MPR continued for the terms of 1977–1982 and 1982–1987. For the terms 1987–1992, 1992–1997, and 1997–1999 the MPR's membership became 1000. One hundred members were appointed representing delegations from groups as addition to the faction delegates of Karya Pembangunan, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia, Persatuan Pembangunan, and military. For the term of 1999–2004 the membership of the MPR was 700 which formed the Regional Delegations Faction, and 65 to form the Groups Delegations Faction ). It was reduced to 688 in 2004 due to the removal of active military and police officers and the dissolution of the Groups Delegations Faction, as well as the reassignment of Regional Delegations Faction to the newly formed DPD and restructuring the senatorial seats at 128. Due to addition of West Papua as the 33rd province since the 2009 election, the number of DPD senators became 132. During the 2019–2024 term, following the addition of North Kalimantan as the 34th province, there were 575 DPR members and 136 senators, resulting in 711 members of the MPR; for the 2024–2029 term, following the creation of an additional 4 provinces in 2022, this increased to 580 DPR members and 152 senators.
History
Origins
On 18 August, the day after Sukarno proclaimed the Independence of Indonesia the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence approved a new constitution for Indonesia. Under its transitional provisions, for a six-month transition period, the new republic would be governed according to the constitution by a president, assisted by a National Committee, which would establish the long awaited People's Consultative Assembly mandated by the said constitution as the supreme legislative authority of the new republic, with the House of Representatives as its presidum. Originally, under that constitution, the MPR was to be the Indonesian version of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, with the House acting as Presidium of the same. On 29 August, Sukarno dissolved the PPKI and on its basis established the Central Indonesian National Committee, with 135 appointed deputies, which included many members of the PPKI who crossed over to it. Part of its original intensions was to prepare the way for the manner of the future selection of elected deputies to the Assembly.A number of KNIP members became concerned that the Indonesian government was too authoritarian, and pressed for a more parliamentary system. Sukarno and Vice President Hatta agreed to these demands, and on 16 October 1945, Hatta issued Vice-Presidential Edict No.X that gave the KNIP full legislative powers alongside Sukarno, meaning it had to approve all legislation, including those which determine the current national policies. These powers were delegated to a Working Committee. Wartime underground leaders Sutan Sjahrir and Amir Sjarifuddin were subsequently elected chairman and vice-chairman of this committee, which exercised the legislative work of the KNIP when the full committee did not meet.
Federal Era and Parliamentary Democracy Era
On 27 December 1949, the Dutch government transferred sovereignty to a federal United States of Indonesia, which comprised 16 states and territories, including the Republic of Indonesia. Under the constitution of the USI, the highest chamber of government was the Senate, which comprised 32 members, two from each of the 16 components of the USI. However, one by one, the individual regions and territories of the USI began to dissolve themselves into the Republic, and on 17 August 1950, Indonesia became a unitary state.In discussions starting in May 1950, the Committee for the Preparation of the Constitution of a Unitary State, had was agreed that there would be a unicameral legislature comprising the membership of the lower chamber and Senate from the USI and the KNIP working Committee and the Supreme Advisory Council from the Republic. The provisional constitution also called for the establishment of a Constitutional Assembly to draw up a permanent constitution. This assembly was elected in 1955 but failed to agree on a new constitution, and with the support of the army, on 5 July 1959, Sukarno issued decree to abolish the provisional constitution and reimpose the 1945 Constitution, with the role of the MPR being restored.
Guided Democracy Era/Old Order
Formation
In 1960, Sukarno dissolved the lower house, the House of Representatives, after it refused to pass the state budget. He then appointed a Mutual Cooperation House of Representatives and reestablished the MPR in the form of a Provisional People's Consultative Assembly. The 610 deputies comprising the membership of the DPR-GR together with 94 appointed regional representatives and 232 appointed representatives of functional sectors, including service personnel of the Armed Forces and the National Police, took their oaths of office on 15 September.It was during this time that the MPRS first passed a series of Resolutions, a power not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution but hierarchically accepted as legislation directly under the Constitution, but higher than an Act. MPRS and later the MPR would pass Resolutions until 2003, when MPR was definitively stripped of any law-making power.
1960 General Session
The MPRS held its first General Session in Bandung, West Java from 10 November to 3 December. It passed two resolutions:- Resolution No. I/MPRS/1960 on the Republic of Indonesia Political Manifesto as the Guidelines of State Policy; and
- Resolution No. II/MPRS/1960 on the Major Guidelines of the National Overall Planned Development Phase One 1961–1969.
1963 General Session
1965 General Session
The MPRS held its third General Session in Bandung from 11 to 16 April 1965. This General Session further entrenched Sukarno's ideological approaches in the running of Indonesia. Many of Sukarno's Independence Day speeches were adopted as the guideline for policies in politics and economics. The MPRS also decided on the principals of Guided Democracy, which would involve consultations and consensus.Transition to the New Order
1966 General Session
Perhaps the most significant of the MPRS's General Sessions was that in 1966. Meeting in Jakarta from 20 June to 5 July 1966 under a new leadership, and with a membership purged of 180 individuals either pro-Sukarno or linked to organizations implicated in the alleged coup attempt of 30 September 1965, the General Session marked the beginning of the official transfer of power from Sukarno to Suharto. Although the de facto transfer of power had been made on 11 March by virtue of the Supersemar document, Suharto wanted to maintain the appearance of legality.During the 1966 session, the MPRS passed 24 resolutions; they included revoking Sukarno's appointment to the life presidency, banning ; explicitly defined in the resolution's corresponding explanatory memorandum to include "the struggle fundaments and the tactics taught by... Stalin, Mao Zedong, etc.", elevating the Supersemar into a resolution irrevocable by Sukarno, the holding of legislative elections, commissioning Suharto to create a new Cabinet, and a constitutional amendment in which a president who might be unable to perform his duty would be replaced by the holder of the Supersemar instead of the vice-president.
Also during the General Session, Sukarno delivered a speech called Nawaksara, in which he was expected to give account for the 30 September Movement, in which six generals and a first lieutenant were kidnapped and killed by alleged communists. The speech was rejected, and the MPRS asked Sukarno to give a supplementary speech at the next MPRS General Session.
1967 Special Session
The 1967 MPRS Special Session, from 7 to 12 March, marked the end of Sukarno's presidency and the beginning of Suharto's. Much like the 1966 General Session, the official transfer of power was done before the General Session in March, with Sukarno stepping down from his position in February. Suharto's appointment as acting president and the withdrawal of power from Sukarno during this General Session was just a formality.The MPRS also passed a resolution to re-examine the adoption of the Political Manifesto as the primary GSP of the Assembly and the Republic at large.
The Special Session assembled after Sukarno's Nawaksara Supplementary Letter was deemed to be unworthy because it had not included a full account of the 30 September Movement. He did not deliver a speech. On 9 February 1967, the DPR declared that the President was endangering the nation through his leadership and ideological stance. It then asked for an MPRS Special Session to be held in March to formally impeach Sukarno.
1968 Special Session
The 1968 MPRS Special Session, 21 to 30 March, officially consolidated Suharto's position by appointing him to the presidency. The MPRS commissioned Suharto to continue stabilizing Indonesia's politics and to formulate a Five Year Plan for the economy.The Special Session was assembled when it became obvious that Suharto was not going to be able to hold legislative elections in July 1968 as had been ordered by the 1966 MPRS General Session. During this Special Session, the MPRS also commissioned Suharto to hold elections by 5 July 1971.