DENPASAR, BALINEWS – I Gusti Putu Artha has urged the public not to focus on Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s personal image when responding to the proposal to exercise the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Right to Express an Opinion (Hak Menyatakan Pendapat/HMP). Instead, he said, the debate should focus on the legal substance and constitutional mechanisms underlying the issue.
Putu Artha made the statement following the submission of a proposal signed by 120 DPR members from eight parliamentary factions. Two lawmakers representing Bali, I Nyoman Parta and I Wayan Sudirta, were among those who signed the proposal, along with other members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction.
"In my view, the public must be able to focus on the substance of this issue. The right to express an opinion is part of the constitutional rights of DPR members. Therefore, when lawmakers express their political positions or opinions, they should not automatically be questioned simply because their views differ from those of certain groups," Putu Artha said on Thursday (Nov. 12, 2026).
He highlighted what he described as a tendency among some members of the public to assess the Gibran issue based on his personal character and public image. However, he argued that a person's reputation should not overshadow the legal questions currently under debate.
"We should not judge an issue solely based on the individual involved. Just because someone appears kind, polite, or has a positive public image does not automatically mean that the substance of the legal issue is correct. There are mechanisms, rules, and laws that must serve as the basis for assessment," he said.
Putu Artha stressed that the law must be applied fairly, regardless of the identity or position of the individual involved. He said every issue should be assessed according to applicable laws and legal procedures rather than personal preferences or dislikes toward a particular public figure.
Regarding the controversy surrounding Gibran, he also referred to legal proceedings that had taken place at the Constitutional Court (MK) and the Supreme Court (MA). He said the public needed to understand the legal developments and arguments emerging from both institutions in their entirety.
The debate intensified after 120 DPR members from eight parliamentary factions signed the proposal to exercise the HMP in connection with Gibran. The proposal was submitted to the DPR leadership on Wednesday (Nov. 11, 2026).
Among the signatories were two lawmakers from Bali, I Nyoman Parta and I Wayan Sudirta, both members of the PDI-P faction.
According to the DPR leadership's tally, the 120 lawmakers came from eight factions: 14 from the PDI-P, 11 from Golkar, 11 from Gerindra, 19 from NasDem, 18 from the National Awakening Party (PKB), 28 from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), one from the National Mandate Party (PAN), and 18 from the Democratic Party.
Putu Artha reiterated that the public should approach political and legal developments with a comprehensive understanding. He urged people not to allow the debate to become a matter of personal approval or disapproval of Gibran, while overlooking the legal substance behind the parliamentary proposal.
"The public needs to understand the issue in its entirety. We should not allow the debate to shift toward whether people like or dislike a particular individual, while the actual legal substance being questioned remains undiscussed. In this situation, what we need to encourage is greater public maturity in understanding political and legal developments," he concluded.
