The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) will review last year's incident in which lawmakers danced during the annual session, according to House Speaker Puan Maharani. The review comes ahead of the upcoming joint annual session with the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Kompas.tv reports.
Maharani confirmed that the dancing episode from the previous year has become a point of evaluation for the chamber. The statement was made as preparations for the annual session, scheduled for this week, are underway.
The MPR's secretariat general has been finalizing technical arrangements for the event, according to detikNews. As part of the changes, the annual session will no longer play songs that previously prompted lawmakers to dance, with only patriotic struggle songs to be featured, Kompas.com reports.
The head of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) also confirmed that no music intended to encourage entertainment would be played during the proceedings, according to CNN Indonesia.
President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to deliver a speech at the annual session, with former President Joko Widodo expected to attend, CNBC Indonesia reported.
The annual session is a constitutional event in which the president addresses the MPR, DPR, and DPD jointly. Last year's dancing lawmakers drew public criticism and became a talking point about the decorum of elected officials during formal state proceedings.
The changes to the playlist and the internal review signal an effort by parliamentary leadership to project a more serious tone at this year's event.
Observers will be watching whether the session proceeds without the disruptions that marked last year's gathering.
