DPR Commission II: De Jure, Indonesia Has Two National Capitals

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Chairman of Commission II of the DPR, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung, previously reminded him that the draft law (RUU) concerning the Special Region of Jakarta (DKJ) should be ratified immediately. Because if not, Indonesia would de jure have two national capitals.

The first is DKI Jakarta which is regulated by Law Number 29 of 2007 concerning the Provincial Government of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta as the Capital of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Second is the Archipelago Capital which is regulated in Law Number 21 of 2023 concerning National Capital (IKN).

“I’ve said it from the start, literally de jure Once the Law on IKN was published, de jure Indonesia had two capital cities. “Even though de facto it is still DKI Jakarta,” said Doli at the Golkar Party DPP Office, Jakarta, Sunday (10/3/2024) evening.

It is known that the IKN Law with the drafting of the DKJ Bill could create new problems. Because in Article 41 Paragraph 2 of the IKN Law, legislation that revokes the status of the state capital of Jakarta must be passed two years after the ratification of the IKN Law.

The IKN Law was first passed on February 15 2022, which means the DKJ Bill should have been passed at least before February 15 2024. If not, Indonesia legally has two national capitals which are regulated in the IKN Law and the DKI Jakarta Law.

“This is a transition process, a transition process, we at Commission II at that time pushed for completion before February 15 (DKJ Bill). It was just a technical problem that hampered the presidential election and all kinds of things,” said Doli.

The DKJ Bill itself has been designated as an initiative bill proposed by the DPR and assigned to the Legislative Body (Baleg). He hopes that the bill which revokes Jakarta’s status as the nation’s capital will be passed during the current session.

“It must be (immediately ratified), because it cannot be postponed any longer. If it is postponed any longer, the government’s plans for June will have sent several ministries, because the shift in the transition period, work transfer, government work from Jakarta to IKN has started this year,” said Doli .

“That’s why I think Jakarta must ensure its legal status,” continued the Deputy Chairperson of the Golkar Party.