Mahfud MD Disagree with the DPR's Proposal to Dissolve in Today's Memorandum, April 2, 2023

JAKARTA - Today's memory, three years ago, April 2, 2023, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menkopulhukam), Mahfud MD did not agree with the DPR's proposal to be dissolved. The narrative is because a country without a DPR can be an authoritarian and autocratic country.

Previously, Mahfud was a figure who was eager to push for the seizure of assets to become a law. This desire could not be granted because members of the DPR did not have the power. DPR members believe that the head of the political party has the power. This answer makes the people angry.

The function of legislation - forming laws - is often a question for DPR members. The narrative is because DPR members who should represent the people's unrest, actually have their own agenda. This condition makes many of the government's policies unable to improve the people's living standards.

The proposal for a law from the people alone is not easy to enter the DPR's priorities. Moreover, the law that is directly pushed by the minister-class. Take for example when Mahfud MD asked all members of the DPR to facilitate the Draft Law on Asset Confiscation by the end of March 2023.

The Minister of Law and Human Rights even asked for help so that the bill that had been processed by the DPR since 2020 could become a law. Manfud wants those who steal state funds to be processed and confiscated by the state.

Instead of getting a pleasant answer, Mahfud was disappointed. Chairman of Commission III of the DPR, Bambang Wuryanto or better known as Bambang Pacul, openly did not dare to pass the Asset Confiscation Bill.

He considers that all members of Commission III will also not dare. The narrative is because all power is in the hands of the party chairman. Mahfud was also asked to discuss the issue of the Asset Confiscation Bill directly to the party chairman.

"Here you can talk boldly, sir, but Bambang Pacul was called by his mother, 'Pacul, stop!', 'Ready! Implement. So I immediately answered the request of my brother. Bambang Pacul is ready, if ordered by the boss. Where dare, sir,"

"Loh, I'm very clear about this. Maybe the Asset Confiscation Bill can (be passed), but we have to talk to the party chairmen first. If it's not possible, sir," said Bambang as quoted by the lamankompas.com, March 29, 2023.

Bambang's answer not only made Mahfud disappointed. The disappointment was felt by all Indonesian people. They considered that members of the DPR who should represent the people instead represented other interests.

This condition then made the proposal to dissolve the DPR appear everywhere. Many consider the DPR to be useless. The proposal then entered Mahfud MD's ears on April 2, 2023. Mahfud assessed that the performance of DPR members was bad.

However, he does not agree if the DPR is dissolved. The narrative is because the DPR is an important instrument in democracy. The DPR is a way to carry out oversight functions of the government. If this does not work, then the country will become an authoritarian state, a monarchy, or an autocratic state.

"I want to emphasize, we must have a DPR and we must have a political party. We should not think that we do not have a political party, we do not have a DPR, because it is a democratic instrument. It is better to have a bad political party than no political party and no DPR."

"If there is no political party and no DPR, it means that the country is an authoritarian country, an autocratic country, a monarchy. But if there is a political party, there is a DPR, even though it is not good, then if there is a potential for arbitrariness, there are people who use it to control the government," said Mahfud as quoted by lamandetik.com, April 2, 2023.