Implementation of the Right of Initiative of the Regional People's Representative Council of Palembang City in Forming Regional Regulations

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FORMOSA NEWS - Palembang - Palembang Legislative Council Faces Low Productivity in Passing Self-Initiated Local Regulations. The right of initiative is a vital legislative power that allows local parliaments to independently propose regulations that directly address public needs. However, a recent study reveals that this democratic mechanism is severely underutilized in Palembang. Researchers Nurulanningsih, Erli Salia, and Sri Suatmiati from Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang conducted an empirical investigation into the legislative performance of the Palembang City Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) during the 2019–2024 term. Their study, published in 2026, highlights a stark imbalance between regulations proposed by the local parliament and those introduced by the city government. Understanding these institutional shortcomings is crucial for improving regional governance, enhancing public accountability, and strengthening democratic checks and balances in Indonesian municipalities.

The Growing Gap in Local Governance
Under Indonesia’s regional autonomy framework, local governments and regional councils must collaborate to establish local laws that serve as legal foundations for development. While the right of initiative empowers council members to be proactive and responsive to community concerns, the legislative process in Palembang remains overwhelmingly dominated by the executive branch. Data from the Palembang City DPRD Secretariat throughout the 2019–2024 period indicates that the independent legislative output of the council is critically low. Out of eight self-initiated draft regulations submitted by the council, only a small fraction successfully passed into law. Most alarmingly, from 2021 to 2024, the Palembang City DPRD achieved a zero percent success rate for its independent bills, failing to enact a single council-initiated regulation. The sole notable legislative success during this five-year term occurred when the council merged two separate drafts the Child Protection Draft and the Women's Protection Draft into a single legal framework. This joint effort resulted in the enactment of Palembang City Regional Regulation Number 9 of 2022 concerning the Protection of Women and Children from Violence. While this single regulation provided vital legal protections for vulnerable groups, it stands as an exception in a period otherwise marked by legislative stagnation.

Internal Obstacles Hindering Legislative Progress
To understand why the local parliament struggled to produce independent legislation, the research team at Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang utilized an empirical legal research design. They conducted qualitative interviews with key parliamentary figures, including the Chairperson of the Legislative Body for the 2019–2024 period, members of special legislative committees, and the Head of the Legislation Section. They cross-referenced these firsthand insights with official meeting minutes, regional statutes, and government documentation to ensure data validity. The findings indicate that the primary barriers to successful lawmaking do not stem from a lack of financial or administrative support from the executive government. Instead, the roadblocks are deeply rooted within the internal structure and working culture of the Palembang City DPRD itself. The researchers categorized these internal obstacles into three distinct areas:

• Limited Technical Capacity: Many council members lack the specialized training required to draft comprehensive academic position papers and properly formulate legal norms, resulting in low-quality draft proposals.
  
• Structural and Time Constraints: Council members face overlapping institutional schedules, which frequently lead to attendance issues and a persistent failure to meet the required voting quorum during crucial legislative sessions.
  
• Weak Institutional Coordination: Delays are worsened by poor communication and loose synchronization between the council committees, the regional executive bodies, and the legal division of the Palembang City Regional Secretariat.
  
• Political Dynamics and Sectoral Egos: Factional disagreements and a general lack of motivation to champion bills that lack immediate political advantages often stall debates and prevent lawmakers from reaching a consensus.
  

Strategic Reforms for Better Public Policy
The legislative gridlock observed in Palembang underscores the urgent need for structural and cultural reforms within local parliaments across Indonesia. When a legislative body fails to exercise its right of initiative, public policy becomes one-sided, leaving local governments to self-regulate without sufficient legislative oversight. To restore balance and optimize the lawmaking process, the study outlines actionable recommendations for future legislative terms. Parliaments must invest heavily in human capital by providing consistent legislative training and working closely with legal experts to draft solid regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, strict internal discipline must be enforced to resolve quorum issues and prevent unnecessary scheduling delays. Finally, the council must build stronger communication channels with regional executive agencies and actively expand avenues for public participation, ensuring that new laws are both technically sound and deeply reflective of community needs.

Author Profiles
Nurulanningsih, S.H., M.H. is a legal scholar and lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang. Her academic research focuses primarily on constitutional law, regional autonomy, and legislative drafting methodologies within local government frameworks.
Erli Salia, S.H., M.H. is a faculty member and researcher at Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang, specializing in administrative law and the evaluation of public policy initiatives at the municipal level.
Sri Suatmiati, S.H., M.Hum. is a senior legal academic at Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang. Her field of expertise encompasses local governance structures, checks and balances in regional autonomy, and statutory interpretation.

Source

Nurulanningsih, Erli Salia, Sri Suatmiati (2026). Implementation of the Right of Initiative of the Regional People's Representative Council of Palembang City in Forming Regional Regulations. International Journal of Law Analytics (IJLA). Vol. 4, No. 2, Halaman 167-178.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijla.v4i2.177
URL: https://journal.multitechpublisher.com/index.php/ijla/index