DPR Criticism, Anang: Ideally Members Of Parliament Are Filled With Professionals

JAKARTA - Member of the House of Representatives for the 2014-2019 period, Anang Hermansyah, criticized the pattern of recruitment of members of the People's Representative Council (DPR).

According to him, ideally the Indonesian parliament is filled with professionals so that they can carry out their constitutional functions properly. For example, experts in various public sectors.

"The DPR must be filled by experts. Of course, the DPR is still filled by politicians," Anang told reporters, Tuesday, June 22.

The musician from Jember explained that in theory, parliament in the modern era comes from three sources, namely political party representation (political representation), regional representation (territorial representation) and representation of experts (functional representation).

"Well, the representatives of the experts are actually functional representations," said Anang.

However, in practice, parliament in Indonesia is only represented from two sources, namely representatives of political parties (DPR RI) and regional representatives (DPD RI). As a result, said Anang, the face of parliament in Indonesia is stronger in terms of politics, which represents the strength of political parties, but weak from substantial debates that focus on the main issue.

"For example, when I was in the DPR discussing the Music Bill, the discussion was really a matter of the substance of music. It did not touch on the affairs of the party's interests. That the process through political channels is a necessity," said Anang.

Therefore, the ex-husband of PDIP politician Krisdayanti suggested that sources of recruitment for members of Parliament be opened again to experts or professionals. One mechanism that can be done is to amend the constitution by including professionals/experts as representatives in parliament.

Anang said that the scheme that had occurred before the post-reform constitutional amendments with the presence of group delegates in parliament was an effort by the nation's founders to provide space in parliament to be filled by functional representatives.

"The constitutional design of the founding fathers of the nation was very visionary by including group representatives as one of the sources of Parliament," said Anang.

The former PAN politician assessed that the idea of returning this functional representation constitutionally was legitimate as stated in Article 37 of the 1945 Constitution which regulates the amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

"This idea is not illegal at all, it is allowed to be included in the amendment to the 1945 Constitution," said Anang.