Similar To Fahri Hamzah's Criticism, Formappi Says The DPR Has Never Carried Out Its 'Stampe Government' Supervisory Function

The Parliament Building taken from the air (Photo by Dino Januarsa on Unsplash)

DPR Year-End Reflection, Formappi: Slow on the Public Interest Bill

JAKARTA - The Parliamentary Concerned Community Forum (Formappi) assesses that the performance of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) has been sluggish towards the draft law (RUU) of the public interest. For example, the discussion of the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP), the Sexual Violence Crime Bill (TPKS), and the Disaster Management Bill. Formappi noted that the achievements of 8 priority bills out of 37 bills in the 2021 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) list prove the DPR's indifference to the public. Researcher Formappi Lucius Karus assesses that the DPR's performance during 2021 also seems dull and once again only becomes the government's 'stamp'. This can be read from the ease with which the DPR approves regulations such as the Draft Law (RUU), the Draft APBN and the accountability of the APBN.

"The government's control is carried out through coalition political parties which will then become the reference for the factions in parliament," said Lucius in his statement, Tuesday, December 28.

The predicate of government 'stamp', continued Lucius, is getting stronger because the DPR has never carried out its supervisory function on government performance optimally. Especially the supervision of the APBN which is prone to corruption. Lucius said that the DPR has never used interpellation, questionnaires, and the right to express their opinion.

"Criticism that appears occasionally is voiced more through social media and mass media than in the meeting room. So it doesn't have an influence on changes in government policies," he said.

On the other hand, said Lucius, the emergence of the Constitutional Court's decision on Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation shows the weakness of the legislative quality of the DPR. This, he said, is also an important note for the performance of the DPR in ratifying the products of the Act. During 2021, the DPR also has many internal problems. For example, the desire of parliamentarians to get special vehicle plates and self-isolation places in hotels. As well as the formation of a special committee for the IKN Bill which had ignored the DPR's rules and regulations.

"The power of the DPR is so large that it becomes meaningless when it is only perpetuated for their own interests and those of the elite in political parties," said Lucius.