Jokowi On Revision Of The Wantimpres Law: Ask The DPR

President Jokowi gave a speech during the groundbreaking of the Bank Indonesia office complex at IKN, PPU, East Kalimantan, Thursday, November 2, 2023). (ANTARA PHOTO-Hafidz Mubarak)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo is reluctant to comment on 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). Jokowi emphasized that the revision of the law was a proposal from the DPR.

"That's an initiative from the DPR, ask the DPR," said Jokowi when met in South Lampung Regency, Thursday, July 11.

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.

Responding to this, a member of the DPR from the PDIP faction, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, said that the change in Wantimpres to DPA meant returning to the 1945 Constitution.

It is known, DPA is a high state institution that functions to provide input or consideration to the president. The DPA was formed based on Article 16 of the 1945 Constitution before it was amended.

"Yes, we'll see later, it's been approved. It's just that if that's the case, we'll go back to the 1945 Constitution, right? We'll try to ask the experts on state level, with the existence of this DPA, the Grand Advisory Council. That's the same nuance as the one contained in the 1945 Constitution, especially since the position is equal, is that true?" said Djarot at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, July 11.

"What kind of parallelity continues to share the process of filling people, the requirements are clear, how the process there is a prerequisite must have statesmanship properties," he continued.