MPR Leaders No Problem Wantimpres Turned Into DPA

Deputy Chairman of the MPR RI Syarifuddin Hasan. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the MPR Sjarifuddin Hasan, has no problem with the plan of the DPR RI which changed the nomenclature of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) to the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).Regarding the number of members and who is included in the DPA, Syarief Hasan said, it was entirely submitted to the elected president, Prabowo Subianto. "If according to the bill it is like that. But again it all depends on the president being elected because this DPA is part of the government," said Syarief Hasan to reporters, Monday, July 15. As is known, the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR approved the Draft Law (RUU) on Amendments to Law Number 19 of 2006 concerning the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) to become an initiative bill and brought to a plenary session to obtain approval. In the plenary session of the DPR held on Thursday, July 11, the entire DPR faction agreed to make this Wantimpres Bill into a DPR initiative bill.There are three points of change in this Wantimpres Bill. First, the nomenclature change from Wantimpres to the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA). However, the institutional function of this deliberative council has not changed. Second, the number of DPA members becomes unbounded and adapts to the needs of the president. Third, the change of the requirements to become members of the DPA. Nomenclature, Syarief Hasan asserts, the existence of the Wantimpres institution which will later turn into DPA is part of the upcoming government. "So how many members of the DPA and who enter are members of the DPA depend on the elected president. Please because there is a law governing this DPA," he explained. When asked whether the existence of DPA will be filled with a former president or vice president, Syarief Hasan again stated that it all depends on the president, Prabowo Subianto. "Even if all of the presidents depend on the word of the presidents being elected because the DPA are only about the existence of the Presidential Assembly.

Syarief Hasan emphasized that the change in the nomenclature of Wantimpres to DPA had nothing to do with the idea of forming a presidential club that Prabowo Subianto had raised. "Those are two different things. DPA is regulated by law. Meanwhile, the presidential club is only a voluntary organization," he concluded.