People's Consultative Assembly
The People's Consultative Assembly (Indonesian: Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, MPR) is a state institution of Indonesia comprising all elected members of the House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah, DPD), tasked primarily with amending and enacting the constitution as well as inaugurating the president and vice president.[1] Under the original 1945 Constitution, the MPR embodied the full exercise of popular sovereignty, holding supreme authority to elect the president, determine state policy outlines (Garis-Garis Besar Haluan Negara, GBHN), and serve as the highest organ of state power.[2] Following the 1998 fall of President Suharto and subsequent constitutional amendments from 1999 to 2002, its expansive powers were curtailed to prevent authoritarian consolidation, eliminating presidential election by the assembly and the mandatory GBHN, thereby shifting Indonesia toward direct popular elections and a more balanced separation of powers.[2] During the New Order regime (1966–1998), the MPR's sessions often functioned as rituals to endorse Suharto's indefinite rule, with membership inflated by appointed military and "functional" representatives lacking electoral accountability, highlighting its historical role in sustaining centralized control rather than genuine deliberation.[3] Today, the MPR convenes periodically for constitutional duties, reflecting Indonesia's transition to procedural democracy while retaining symbolic importance as the "house of the nation."[4]