Chief Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman, Deputy Chief Constitutional Justice Aswanto, Secretary General M. Guntur Hamzah, and Chief Registrar Muhidin holding a remote meeting with the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) leaders Thursday (23/4) in the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Gani.
JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Constitutional Court (MK) held a remote meeting with the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) leaders on Thursday (23/04/2020). In the meeting, Chief Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman and Deputy Chief Constitutional Justice Aswanto were accompanied by Secretary General M. Guntur Hamzah and Chief Registrar Muhidin.
MPR Chairman Bambang Soesatyo explained that in the meeting they would be discussing the MPR’s plenary 2020 session, which will be different from past sessions. According to the politician who is often addressed as Bamsoet, in the previous plenary sessions, the performance report of state institutions were combined, represented by the president. However, this year the MPR planned on giving the leader of each state institution to present the report.
This change would lead to schedule adjustment on the MPR plenary session, previously held on one day on August 16, to be extended to two days. The most important agenda would be the annual report by the president.
Chief Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman expressed his support for the idea. He believes that the people have been waiting for the annual report. “We the Constitutional Court support the activity [that allows] the people to know what the MPR, DPR, DPD, and all state institutions have done, to remain working during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. He also stated that this can be made an annual state tradition.
The MPR leaders appreciated the response of the Chief Constitutional Justice. MPR Vice Chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid thanked the Chief Justice for the support and expressed his hope that the session would not be a mere routine. He also suggested that the report of each state institution be made brief but sufficient.
Hidayat also expressed his support for the Constitutional Court regarding the petitions of the judicial reviews of the Government Regulation In Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2020 regarding the State’s Financial Policy and Fiscal Stability for the Mitigation of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or the Coronavirus Perppu or the Perppu on COVID-19 Mitigation. He thinks that the MPR leaders believe that the Court would be able to handle the case well and as fairly as possible.
MPR Vice Chairman Ahmad Basarah also said that the Court would be able to reach the best and most just decision on the Perppu on COVID-19 Mitigation. He added that the MPR as a legislator can be involved to deliver statements in judicial review hearings. He believes that the MPR can give statements regarding the original intents of the norms in the Constitution. He also believes that the Constitutional Court is a state institution that has a strategic position.
Justice Anwar expressed his appreciation for the MPR leaders’ support. He also said that the Constitutional Court has always been offering any state institutions to deliver statements in judicial review hearings. He revealed that the Court in the past requested statements from drafters of the amendments of the Constitution, which were in the Ad Hoc Committees I and II, in order to study the original intents of the norms in the Constitution. (Ilham/NRA)
Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti