People’s Consultative Assembly

Abstract

On October 1, 1972, the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR = Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat) was formally inaugurated in Jakarta. The PCA is the people’s supreme council of the Republic of Indonesia. This PCA is the first one formed in full accordance with the 1945 Constitution and whose members were selected through the 1971 General Election. This inauguration was followed by preparatory sessions to ensure due preparation for its plenary sessions of March 1973, the date going to be of the expiration of Soeharto’s mandate as President. It is no wonder that the political climate in the country is dominated by the coming session of the PCA. This can be clearly observed from the fact that great numbers of Regional Houses of Representatives, even those Houses of Representatives from the less active regions, have called for sessions in order to discuss material sent for the coming PCA sessions. Moreover the PCA has become a frequent topic in various publications. This fact is as it should be, since the PCA is the institution that exercises fully the people’s sovereignty and thus is the highest authority in the Republic.