Monday, November 3, 2008

AN OVERVIEW OF THE HOUSE OF REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA ( DPD-RI )

An Overview of DPD-RI



WHAT IS THE DPD-RI

The House of Regional Representatives of The Republic of Indonesia or Dewan Perwakilan Daerah Republik Indonesia ( DPD – RI ) is a legislative chamber that was established in 2004 and focuses on regional affairs. It is sometimes called as Regional Representatives Council . Each province has four representatives who are elected in a general election every five years as independent candidates. The DPD RI is located in the National Parliamentary Compound in Senayan area in South Jakarta .



THE DPD RI LEADERSHIP



Left to right : senator Laode Ida, senator Ginandjar Kartasasmita, senator Irman Gusman, at the DPD-RI Plenary Meeting 22 August 2008




The leadership of the DPD-RI consists of Chairperson and a maximum of two Vice Chairpersons. Under the DPD-RI’s Standing Orders, the composition of the DPD-RI Leadership must reflect representation for the regions of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. This entails representation for three broad regions :
The Western Region, comprising the islands of Sumatra, the Riau Islands and the Banka – Belitung Islands.
The Central Region, comprising the islands of Java, Bali and Kalimantan ( Borneo ).
The Eastern Region, comprising the island of Sulawesi, the Maluku Islands ( Moluccas ), Papua and Nusa Tenggara.

The duties of the DPD-RI leadership include serving as spokepersons for the DPD-RI, implementing and publicizing decisions of the DPD-RI, and holding consultations with the President of the Republic of Indonesia and with other institutions.

The DPD RI leadership for 2004 – 2009, effected on 1 October 2004

Prof.Dr.Ir.H.Ginandjar Kartasasmita
Chairperson of the DPD-RI.

A senior figure on Indonesia’s political stage, he has held numerous important government positions. He served as Minister of Mining and Energy ( 1988 – 1993 ), and as Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry, a position which he held concurrently with that of Chairman of the National Development Planning Agency ( Bappenas ) from March – May 1998. From 1999 to 2004, he served as Vice Chairperson of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia from the Golkar fraction. In the direct selection for the DPD-RI, he took first place in the Province of West Java.

La Ode Ida, Phd
Vice Chairperson of the DPD-RI.

With a strong tract record as an NGO activist, he has extensive experience in working with stakeholders at the grassroots, which is a significant element to strengthen the role of DPD-RI. He has also regularly analyzed political developments in articles written for various media. He served as consultant in the World Bank’s National Management Team ( 2001 – 2002 ) and most recently as a member of the Constitutional Committee established by the MPR-RI to comprehensively examine the amendments to the 1945 Constitution. He took first place in the 2004 elections in the Province of Southeast Sulawesi.

H. Irman Gusman, SE, MBA.
Vice Chairperson of the DPD-RI.


A prominent representatives of the business community within the DPD-RI, he’s one of the several young entrepreneurs holding seats in the DPD-RI. A graduate of a US university, he has vast experience in the private sector. His main political experience has been as Deputy Chairperson of the Regional Delegates Faction ( Fraksi Utusan Daerah / F-UD ) in the People’s Consultative Assembly ( MPR-RI ) from 1999 to 2004. In the direct election for the dPD-RI, he took first place in West Sumatra.



WHY WAS THE DPD RI CREATED

The DPD-RI was created to give a voice to the regions in national politics.
It conveys the aspirations of the provinces to the House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat ( DPR –RI) and to the central government by proposing policies and legislation. By acting as a bridge between the regions and national government, the DPD-RI aims to improve the welfare of the people in the regions.

President SBY delivered his speech on regional development at DPD-RI Plenary Meeting, 22 August 2008






The creation of the DPD-RI was one of the fruits of the reform movement that ended the domination of Indonesia’s authoritarian regime, or New Order in 1998. During the 50 years prior to reformation movement in 1998, the central government wielded strong control over the regions, particularly over political life and economic policies.

This led to weak political participation by ordinary people and to economicpolicies that often fell short of meeting the needs and demands of the people of the regions.

Through the 3rd amendment to the 1945 Constitution in 2001, an agreement was reached to create the DPD-RI. This new legislative body aims to ensure that the issues faced by the regionswill receive more attention from the central government than they did in the past.

Since the DPD RI was established through the April 2004 elections,the Indonesian parliament has had two legislative chambers – the DPR-RI and the DPD-RI, which together constitute the MPR-RI ( People’s Consultative Assembly ), in their capacity as membersof the MPR-RI, the DPD-RI members have the powers to amend the Constitution and to dismiss the President and or Vice President during his / her term of office in accordance with the Constitution.

In the DPD-RI, the first house of MPR-RI, provinces with larger populations have larger numbers of seats. By contrast, in the DPD-RI, every province has the same number of seats. This means that in the DPD-RI, all the provinces have equal powers.

The members of DPD-RI are independent figures who are wellknown to the public in their respective provinces. They are elected directly in a general election.



WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE DPD-RI

The DPD-RI is constantly communicating with the public in the regions and local governments and consults with experts to formulate improvements in government policy and to ensure their implementation.

1. Propose Bills to the DPR-RI

Only bills that deals with regional autonomy, relations between the central and regional governments, establishing, partitioning and merging regions, management of natural resources and other economic resources, and fiscal equalization between the central and regional governments.

2. Participate in the discussion of bills together with the DPR-RI

The DPD-RI may take part in discussion of bills related for regional autonomy that have proposedby either government or the DPR-RI, limited to only the bills mentioned under heading ( 1 ) above.

3. Provide advice to the DPR-RI

The DPD-RI provides advice to the DPR-RI on bills relating to the State Budget, taxation, education, and religious affairs; it also provides opinions to the DPR-RI in the selection of members of the BPK ( National Audit Board ).

4. Oversee the implementation of laws


Laws on regional autonomy, establishment, partitioning, and merging of regions; relations between the central and regional governments; management of natural resources and the other economic resources; implementation of the State Budget; taxation, education and religious affairs.

Panel discussion : Leadership of DPD-RI with the Chairman of The Corruption Eradication Commission ( KPK ) Antasari Azhar ( 2nd from left ) and Chairman of the Audit Board DR. Anwar Nasution ( 2nd from right ), 22 August 2008






DIVERSITY OF MEMBERS

The DPD-RI consists of the four members per province, or 128 members who represent the 32 provinces of the Republic of Indonesia. The newly established Province of West Sulawesi is represented by the four members elected in Southeast Sulawesi.

For the first period of 2004 – 2009, political party officials are forbidden to become the members of DPD RI, but for the next period of 2009 – 2013, there are several major changes of the DPD-RI candidates prerequisites, including that the members of political parties are eligible to apply as the candidate of DPD RI.





STRATEGIC VISION AND MISSION

Vision of the DPD-RI

To become a strong, equal and effective legislative institution to struggle for the aspirations of the people and the regions to achieve a dignified, prosperous and just Indonesian society within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

Mission of DPD-RI

To enhance the role and position of the DPD-RIin order to strengthen Indonesia’s system of checks and balances through the amendment of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

To struggle for the aspirations of the people and the regions to achieve euiatable and sustainable public welfare.

To develop mutual cooperation with the main stakeholders in the regions and the center.

To attract greater attention from the central government on important regional issues. To strive for greater legislative powers in order to better represent the regions.

DPD-RI Plenary meeting




STRATEGIC ISSUES 2004 -2009

As representatives of the provinces, the DPD-RI members must have strong links with their constituents. In order to achieve this, they must continuously interact with the regions. This is why the DPD-RI’s legislative calendar requires members to go back to their provinces during recess in order to maintain these strong links.

In the effort to represent the aspirations of the people in the regions, intensive consultations between the DPD-RI members and their constituents during the DPD-RI’s first year of operations produced eight strategic issues that will be the priority of the DPD-RI in its current mandate until 2009. These eight strategic issues are :
1. Health and education.
2. Empowerment of women and guarantees for the welfare of children.
3. Regional autonomy, balance of ower between the center and the regions, reducing economic
inequality between regions and management of natural resources.
4. Active participation in the making of the draft national budget.
5. Oversee the implementation of the national budget.
6. Eradication of corruption.
7. Protection of traditional rights and cultures.
8. Understanding and applying religious values in society.



MAIN TASKS OF THE DPD – RI 2004 – 2009

Ad Hoc Committees ( Panitia Ad Hoc or PAH ) are the core committees of the DPD-RI. Their purpose is to discuss bills tabled by the government, the DPR RI and the DPD-RI itself.

The duties of the Ad Hoc committees are to ensure that the DPD-RI’s coreb Advisory and Oversight functions are carried out effectively. The Ad Hoc committees are responsible tocoordinate relevant research, policy analysis and draft the DPD-RI’s consideration ( formal report with recommendations ) to be submitted to the DPR-RI.

The Ad Hoc Committees have the following areas of jurisdiction :
Ad Hoc Committee I is responsible for regional autonomy, center - regions relationship, establishment, partitioning and merger of regions.

Ad Hoc Committee II is responsible for management of natural resources and other economic resources.

Ad Hoc Committee III is responsible for education, religious affairs, health and empowerment of women.

Ad Hoc Committee IV is responsible for ensuring center – regions financial equality, and deliberation on the selection process of National Audit Board ( BPK ) members.

In addition, the DPD has six supporting committees, as follows :
1. Consultative Committee ( Panitia Musyawarah /PANMUS ) is a body with primary
responsibility is to determine the agenda of DPD-RI.

2. Committee for International Cooperation ( Panitia Kerjasama Antar Lembaga Pemerintah / PKALP is a committee aims at establishing good relationships and cooperation with other representative institutions and acts as the main interlocutor for foreign assistance to the DPD-RI.

3. Bill Drafting Committee ( Panitia Perancang Undang – Undang / PPUU ) is a committee responsible for preparing the bills that are discussed by the DPD-RI or those for submittal to the DPD-RI, and to develop internal house rules ( Standing Orders ) for the DPD-RI.

4. Ethics Council ( Badan Kehormatan / BK ) is a committee ensures appropriate conduct by the members of the DPD-RI. It conducts investigations and verifications of complaints by and / or about DPD-RI members.

5. House of Committee ( Panitia Urusan Rumah Tangga / PURT ) deals with the DPD-RI’s internal housekeeping policies. The duties of the committee are to assist the DPD-RI leadership in planning and preparing budget for effective operations of the DPD-RI.

6. DPD-RI Task Force in the MPR-RI ( Kelompok Anggota DPD di MPR RI ) consists of a group of 32 DPD-RI members whose aim is to maximize the effectiveness of the DPD-RI by lobbying party grouping in the MPR-RI in order to achieve strategic goals.




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