Constitutional Amendments in Indonesia (UUD 1945)
📌 The Indonesian Constitution (UUD 1945) is expected to evolve with the nation's dynamics, leading to constitutional amendments between 1999 and 2002 following the Reformasi era.
📜 The historical context for constitutional foundations stems from social contract theory (e.g., Hobbes' Leviathan), where individuals surrender power to a sovereign for protection against chaos (bellum omnium contra omnes).
👑 Absolute monarchical power, often justified by Divine Right (e.g., Louis XIV), was eventually reduced by documents acknowledging human rights, such as the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence.

The Need and Purpose of Amendment
📌 A key motivation for amendments was to address the excessive concentration of power, specifically the Supreme authority residing in the MPR and the President's extensive powers over the executive and legislative functions.
⚖️ Before amendments, Article 5(1) allowed the President to form laws, interpreted in practice (during the New Order) to imply the legislature *must* grant approval, creating a loophole for authoritarianism.
🏛️ The main goals of the amendments were to perfect the state structure, ensuring the division of power (checks and balances) and upholding the people's sovereignty as stated in Article 1(2): "Sovereignty is in the hands of the people and exercised according to the Constitution."

Structural Changes Post-Amendment
📌 After the amendments, the constitutional structure simplified: the Explanatory Section (Penjelasan), which previously contained potentially ambiguous interpretations, was eliminated, leaving only the Preamble (Pembukaan) and the Articles (Pasal-pasal).
🔄 Presidential term limits were introduced; the President can now serve a maximum of two terms, unlike the previous system where re-election was possible after five years.
📅 The procedure for changing the Constitution changed; amendments can now only occur once every five years, or if a significant national mandate arises, unlike the previous system where changes could be proposed annually.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The Pancasila serves as the foundational ideology, and the UUD 1945 acts as the "road markings" or legal framework guiding the nation toward its stated goals and existence as an NKRI.
➡️ The amendments sought to refine the state structure to prevent the concentration of power that characterized the previous era, ensuring a balance of power among state institutions.
➡️ Students are encouraged to study if any remaining articles hinder the development of society, politics, and the state, assessing whether the results of the amendments have structurally optimized national development.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Dec 01, 2025, 05:00 UTC