Plenary Agrees To Revision Of The Wantimpres Law As A Bill On The Proposal Of DPR Initiatives

Chairman of the DPR Baleg Supratman Andi Agtas in the DPR plenary session, Thursday 11 July 2024 (Nailin/VOI)

JAKARTA - The DPR RI plenary meeting approved the revision of the Law (UU) on Amendments to Law Number 19 of 2006 concerning the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) to become the DPR's initiative bill.

The regulation changed the nomenclature of Wantimpres to the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA). The revision will also regulate the number of DPA members.

Nine factions in the DPR RI agreed and gave their views in writing to the leadership of the DPR in a plenary meeting at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, July 11.

"Can the Draft Law on the initiative of the Legislation Body regarding amendments to Law Number 19 of 2006 concerning the Presidential Advisory Council be approved as the Draft Law on the Proposal of the DPR RI?" asked Deputy Speaker of the DPR Lodewijk F Paulus as chairman of the trial.

"Agreed," replied the entire member.

Previously, the Chairman of the DPR Baleg Supratman Andi Agtas said that the nomenclature change was based on the aspirations and wishes of all factions in the DPR. However, he ensured that the Wantimpres institutional function would not change.

"The change concerns the nomenclature, which was previously the Presidential Advisory Council, where did it come from? Yes, from the aspirations of the wishes of all factions, earlier agreed like that, but the function has not changed at all, that's one," said Supratman at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, July 9.

Then the composition of Wantimpres, which originally numbered nine people, including the chairman, will change the number following the president's needs when he officially became the Supreme Advisory Council.

"In the old Law, there are only eight Wantimpres members, now they are handed over to the president, adapted to his needs to be able to get the best people who can give the best consideration to the next president," explained Supratman.

In addition, continued Supratman, this bill also discusses the conditions that must be met by a member of the Supreme Advisory Council.

"The third concerns the terms of being a member of the Agung Advisory Council, that's all that concerns institutions, later Wantimpres will be his status as a state official," he continued.

According to Supratman, the number of DPA members is not limited so that the president has a wide space for movement. He believes that the president will select members selectively.

"We don't want to limit it, so as not to limit the president's space for movement, because it concerns the increasing number of people who can provide input to all people who have the capability and capacity, the better for this republic. The president will be selective later," said the Gerindra politician.