The Medan City Regional House of Representatives (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Kota Medan) is the unicameral municipal legislature of the city of Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. It has 50 members, who are elected every five years, simultaneously with the national legislative election.
During the late 19th century, Medan developed as an important economic center in the Sumatra's east coast, rapidly changing the settlement from a village into an urban agglomeration. In order to facilitate public works, the Dutch East Indies government formed a Negorijraad, a council funded through a land grant from the Sultan of Deli.[1] When Medan was granted city status (Gemeente) on 1 April 1909, a city council (Gemeenterad) was created to supersede the Negorijraad. It was first headed by the assistant to the Resident of East Sumatra, until a mayor of Medan was elected in 1918.[2][3] Initially, the legislature had 15 members – 12 Europeans, 2 Native Indonesians, and one representative of other Asian groups. By 1929, the council's membership had increased to 17, with 10 Europeans, 5 natives, and 2 representatives of other Asians.[4] The city council was disbanded following the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies.[2]
Medan would lack a city council throughout the Indonesian National Revolution and further until 1957, when a Transitional Regional House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Peralihan/DPRDA) was established on 8 January 1957.[5] When it was formed, the DPRDA had 25 members representing nine political parties. The Masyumi Party, with 11 members, was the largest party within Medan's DPRDA.[6] The size of the legislature would be increased to 40 members by the time of the 1971 election in the New Order era.[7] The speaker of the legislature between 1969–1971, Djanius Djamin, was the first woman to chair a regional legislature in Sumatra.[8][9][10]
The body was first based in the Medan City Hall, with the building initially intended for use by De Javasche Bank before its purchase by the city council.[11] The current legislative building was inaugurated in 2014.[12]
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