This could be attributed to the three agendas -- the annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the joint session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and the President's Speech on 2022 State Budget Bill -- all hosted on Monday (August 16, 2021).
This was the second consecutive time that the three agendas were scheduled at the parliament amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the number of participants invited to the Plenary Meeting room was limited.
In 2020, at least 380 people attended the annual meeting in person. The figure declined drastically this year: only 60 people, including VVIP guests, were allowed for the meeting.
According to Bambang Soesatyo from the People's Consultative Assembly, the 60 people allowed to remain present for the annual speech were the President and the Vice President, ten members of the People's Consultative Assembly, five heads of Regional Representatives Council factions, five members of the House of Representatives, nine heads of House of Representatives' factions, four heads of Regional Representatives Council, four representatives of sub-regions, and some heads of state institutions (State Audit Board, Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Judicial Commission).
Coordinating Ministers (Political, Legal, and Security Affairs; Human Development and Culture; Maritime and Investment Affairs), the State Secretariat Minister, the Cabinet Secretary, the Finance Minister, head of the National Development Planning Board, Commander of the Indonesian Defense Forces, and the Indonesian Police chief also attended the meeting. The head of the Indonesian Ulema Council was also invited for the meeting and another member of the council led prayer during the 2022 State Budget Bill session.
The annual agenda was also attended virtually by three former presidents, three former vice presidents, two former heads of the People's Consultative Assembly, four former heads of the House of Representatives, and four former heads of the Regional Representatives Council. Moreover, 540 members of the House of Representatives, 124 members of the Regional Representatives Council, 103 fforeign ambassadors, eight heads of the State Audit Board, nine representatives from the Supreme Court, seven from Constitutional Court, six from Judicial Commission, and 34 Indonesian governors.
Strict health protocols were enforced for those attending the event. Those present in the Plenary Meeting Room were required to carry a negative PCR test certificate (taken 24 hours prior to the meeting), and those entering the Parliamentary Complex were required to carry a negative antigen test certificate.
The protocols also included cutting the annual agendas short. In previous years, the President's Annual Speech on the State Budget Bill was delivered at midday, right after the annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly and the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Regional Representatives Council.
However, this year, the President's Annual Speech was pushed back after the annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly and the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Regional Representatives Council.
A break of 15 to 20 minutes was given for the preparation of the President's Annual Speech.
The event lasted three and a half hours from 8.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time.
Performance Report
In his annual speech to commemorate Indonesia's 76th Independence Day, the President provided an overview of various state constitution's performance.
Soesatyo said the annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly was a great chance for him and his members to spread positive and nationalistic messages on the subject of COVID-19.
He opined that pandemic handling must focus on aspects beyond the health and economy, such as strengthening nationalism.
Amidst concern over the deadliness of the virus, national solidarity is also at stake, he pointed out. Boosting public morale and sculpting the nation's character are a must, especially in times like this, to strengthen the collective spirit to live together as a nation, he added.
Ahead of the meeting, Soesatyo informed that President Widodo would include a performance report of the state institutions in his speech, which would cover their accomplishments in executing their tasks during the entire year.
He said he hoped the public would listen and evaluate the performance of the state institutions through the President's speech.
Meanwhile, deputy chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Jazilul Fawaid, said the event served as a momentum to raise the hope of Indonesians.
People must remain optimistic and positive in order to rise and recover from the daunting grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, he remarked.
COVID-19 has forced many to close down their businesses, with many others trying their best to stay afloat, he said.
Yet, people must not allow the situation to pull them down, he said. Everyone should work together as one, hand-in-hand, to escape the horrors of the pandemic, he added.
Deputy chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Hidayat Nur Wahid, said he was positive that the annual agenda would serve as a chance for everyone -- from state institutions, officials, and the public -- to commit to serving the country and set an example on how to adhere to the law in order to realize democracy in Indonesia.
He said he hoped that the annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly would refresh state institutions so that they can once again commit to consistently uphold the four pillars of People's Consultative Assembly in every activity they do.
He wished for the public to always monitor, supervise, criticize and give suggestions so the state institutions could do their tasks right.
He also called for the public to constantly monitor, supervise, criticize, and provide suggestions so that the state institutions can perform their tasks correctly .
General Secretary of the People's Consultative Assembly, Ma'ruf Cahyono, said that the annual session is hosted to uphold the principle of people's sovereignty, so it is more than just a ceremonial event. It is essential, he remarked.
It holds many important meanings because the state institutions gather and report their work performance in serving the public, he explained.
It also serves as a way to hold state institutions accountable as servants of the public, he added.
Among the state institutions which handed their work performance report on Monday were the People's Consultative Assembly, House of Representatives, Regional Representatives Council, the President, State Audit Board, Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and Judicial Commission.
Cahyono explained that the report for the public aimed to help democracy grow and reach its fullest potential. He deemed the information in the report would empower the people in performing their function as controllers of the state institutions' work.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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