Post Elections Support to the DPR, DPD and DPRDs

Background

Indonesia has successfully staged two successive democratic legislative elections and has for the first time held direct elections of the president and vice president.  While the legislature (DPR and DPRD) resulted from the 1999 elections failed to live up the expectations of some to advocate for reform, some optimism towards members of parliament (DPR, DPRD) elected in the 2004 elections to be more reform-minded than their predecessors.  Moreover, a second chamber of the legislature, the DPD or Regional Representative Council, was created as mandated under the amendment of the 1945 Constitution.  The DPD is made up entirely of elected regional representatives and, while its powers are limited, its creation has raised hopes that new DPD members will rise to challenge of becoming key advocates of the regions in national policy-making.  This could introduce healthy competition with the DPR in seeking better to represent constituent needs.

Project Objectives

Developing the representative functions of the newly created DPD and enhancing its role as a key check and balance in the new political system;

1. Strengthening party coalitions for selected democratic reforms within the DPR; and
2. Supporting pilot efforts to enhance parties’ representative/legislative function within DPRDs.

Project Components

This Cooperative Agreement is funded under the Leadership Associate Cooperative Agreement no. DGC-A-00-01-00004-00 to CEPPS (Consortium for Electoral and Political Process Strengthening) to provide technical advice and information on best practices, training, workshops, seminars, and research capacity.

Project Focus

1. Enhance the credibility of the DPD by building effective constituency outreach by its members.

• Support to DPD’s capacity to review legislation and to develop media strategies for constituency outreach.
• Facilitate DPD in developing effective coalition building between civil society, provincial government, and local parliament.
• Facilitate research support on key issues of concern to DPD as it relates to regional interests.

2. Strengthen the capacity of DPR through party coalitions

• Support to DPR councils (legislative, honorary, and budget) in processing and prioritizing bills, reviewing budget, and developing code of ethics.
• Strengthen capacity of DPR in building effective constituency relations and effective cross party constituencies in the DPR
• Strengthen the capacity of parties in the DPR to interact with advocacy groups and the media.

3. Enhance parties’ representative function within DPRDs.

• Support DPRD through party factions in formulating policy positions and working on legislation that reflects constituent needs’ at the local level.
•  Strengthen the capacity of DPRD to develop outreach strategy to the community and to interact with advocacy groups and the media.
• Facilitate DPRD with strong analysis and research of relevant local issues.

All Democracy and Governance activities