Page 267 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
IN INDONESIA

in the 2009 election compared to the 2004 rep-
resentation of all political parties participating in
the election. Membership in the DPR was also
“On 30 August 2012, varied by the increasing number of voices and

the Plenary Session aspirations from women.

of the DPR enacted At the end of 2010, public discourse was enliv-
Law Number 13 of ened by the preparation of the Bill on the Privi-

2012 concerning the leges of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY).
The most crucial issue in this bill was whether a
Privileges of DIY. Sultan Hamengku Buwono (Sultan of Yogyakar-

The law ultimately ta) automatically became the Governor of DIY
or whether the Governor of DIY must be directly
regulated the position elected through regional head elections (pilkada)
of Sultan Hamengku as in other provinces.

Buwono and Paku The appointment of Sultan Hamengku Buwono

Alam as Governor and and Paku Alam to automatically become Gov-
ernors and Deputy Governors of DIY was then
Deputy Governor of deemed not in accordance with democratic prin-

DIY.” ciples. Article 18 paragraph 4 of the 1945 Consti-
tution of the Republic of Indonesia as a result of
the 4th amendment in 2002 clearly stated that:
“The governors, regents, and mayors of each
province, as heads of provinces, regencies, and
cities, are elected democratically.”

The words “democratic” were then interpreted to mean that the position
of Sultan Hamengku Buwono and Paku Alam as heirs of the monarchy
in Yogyakarta could not automatically become the pairing of the Gover-
nor and Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta. Because, it was considered to
violate the principles of democracy. Because of this, the DIY Privileges
Bill then offered the idea of a direct regional head election to elect the
Governor and Deputy Governor of DIY.

Two years later, on 30 August 2012, the Plenary Session of the DPR en-
acted Law Number 13 of 2012 concerning the Privileges of DIY. The law
ultimately regulated the position of Sultan Hamengku Buwono and Paku
Alam as Governor and Deputy Governor of DIY.

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