TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Speaker Bambang Wuryanto emphasized that no constitutional mechanism allows the president to issue direct orders to the MPR speaker. Bambang made the statement in response to MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani's claim that President Prabowo Subianto had dispatched him to attend the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"But if the President sends the MPR speaker, that is not how the mechanism works," said Bambang, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician popularly known as Bambang Pacul, at the Parliament complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
According to Bambang, the relationship between the president and the MPR is one between equal, top-tier state institutions that cannot give orders to one another. A president, he noted, can seek the MPR's opinion through a consultative meeting but cannot issue direct commands.
Bambang admitted he had not received information regarding how Muzani was selected as a delegate to Iran. However, he noted that one possible reason for Muzani's selection could be his status as a Gerindra Party cadre. "If it is as a party cadre, that is possible. But if it is as the MPR speaker, it is a different [story]," he said.
Despite this, he declined to label Muzani's appointment as Indonesia's representative to pay final respects to Ali Khamenei as a violation.
"I am only stating that under our state protocol, meetings among leaders of high state institutions are consultative. There is no procedure for issuing orders," Bambang said.
In a post on his Instagram account, MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani claimed that Prabowo had ordered him to fly to Iran to attend Khamenei's funeral. The secretary of the Gerindra Party's board of trustees will depart alongside the party's secretary-general, Sugiono.
"As the Indonesian MPR speaker, alongside Foreign Minister Sugiono, I was sent by President Prabowo Subianto to attend the funeral procession of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei," he posted on his Instagram account, @ahmadmuzani2, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
According to Muzani, their travel arrangements are still being finalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Muzani and Sugiono are scheduled to depart for Mashhad, Iran, on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Muzani claimed that their presence, alongside Sugiono's, reflects Indonesia's concern over the passing of Ayatollah Khamenei. "Our presence is the official representation of the Indonesian government and the entire Indonesian public mourning the passing of Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Khamenei," he said.
The day before, on Monday, July 6, Foreign Minister Sugiono had announced their plans to travel to Iran. The plan had already been conveyed to the Iranian government. "We are still awaiting a response regarding when and where we can attend the funeral ceremony," Sugiono said in East Jakarta on Monday, July 6, 2026.
Sugiono explained that the Indonesian government had initially only dispatched the Indonesian Ambassador to Iran, Rolliansyah Soemirat. This was because when the funeral invitation arrived from Iran, Jakarta was fully occupied with preparing for various state visits from several friendly nations.
However, Sugiono noted, Indonesia subsequently received word from Tehran that the country was only granting funeral access to officials ranking above ambassadors. He stated that Iran only conveyed this information on Thursday, July 2, 2026, just one day before the funeral events commenced.
Indonesia had not yet had the opportunity to send a replacement after receiving that update. Currently, he added, Iran is still preparing to receive them as Indonesia's official representatives.
Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack targeting his residence on February 28. He died alongside his daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and toddler granddaughter. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in the strike, was subsequently chosen as Iran's Supreme Leader to succeed his father.
As reported by Anadolu, the series of funeral events officially took place on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at the Mosalla Imam Khamenei Complex. A spokesperson for Iran's funeral committee stated that the official schedule for the funeral procession could still change, even though the main public tribute ceremony took place on Saturday morning.
Sultan Abdurrahman and Geni Al Aziz contributed to this article.
Read: Indonesian Foreign Minister, MPR Chief to Attend Khamenei Funeral
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