Dear politicians, please come back down to earth<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The current People's Consultative Assembly Annual Session,
\ncosting Rp 18 billion (US$1.6 million), is talking gibberish,
\nwhich people from Irian Jaya, Sulawesi, Java and Sumatra say has
\nnothing to do with their lives.<\/p>\n
Jacobus Malu Dendu, 30, owner of a chicken farm, Jayapura,
\nIrian Jaya: I could hardly breathe when listening to President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri's speech at the Session. On the economy,
\nher speech was just rhetoric to legitimize what she had done.<\/p>\n
The foreign loans approved by Megawati's administration are
\njust a way to economic destruction. I have no idea why everything
\nis so expensive nowadays. My point is that the people do not need
\nrhetoric. We want action."<\/p>\n
Jacobus Abdurachman Upara, former head of the Jayapura Legal
\nAid Institute (LBH): What Megawati said in her speech was the
\nopposite to what is happening in the ground. Her address sounded
\ngood, but electricity charges and fuel prices are still
\nincreasing.<\/p>\n
However, it's not fair to say that Megawati has failed. After
\nall, she has just been president for only 100 days. But the
\ninitial days are crucial in deciding future policies.<\/p>\n
Rajamin Sirait, chairman of local youth organization
\nPemuda Mitra Kamtibmas, Medan, North Sumatra: The scuffling on
\nthe first day of the Session was a real disgrace to the members
\nof the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The chaos clearly showed that the Assembly members still put
\nthe their groups' interests beyond the nation's. Meanwhile, 200
\nmillion people are expecting that they manage to save "the
\nleaking boat" from sinking.<\/p>\n
I am pessimistic that this year's session will bring about an
\nimprovement in the national economy. We should be aware that it
\nwill take more time for the country to restore itself. The
\nAssembly members have contributed to the worsening situation.<\/p>\n
Andi Rudiyanto Asapa, president of the Makassar Lawyers Club:
\nI am not interested in the Session. The only thing that grabbed
\nmy attention was the chaotic opening. That was the first time
\never in Indonesian (legislative) history that honorable Assembly
\nmembers have been involved in scuffling.<\/p>\n
The fighting could set a bad precedent for our democracy. The
\nman in the street will say that he could do even better than the
\nrepresentatives in the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Iis Risnaeni, a 27-year-old housewife in Bandung: I don't
\nbelieve that the legislative body can lead the country to a
\nbetter future. We have seen that the many House and Assembly
\nsessions have changed nothing, meaning that we have spent
\nbillions of rupiah for nothing.<\/p>\n
For ordinary people like me, economic recovery is a must. But
\nhow can our economy get better if we are always engaged in
\nfighting and brawling with each other.<\/p>\n
Joko Ardi Ambawang, a member of a municipal legislative
\ncouncil from the Justice Party faction in Bandung: There is no
\ndifference between the current Assembly\/House and those during
\nthe New Order regime. They live in an ivory tower, ignoring what
\nthe people really want.<\/p>\n
The Session will not produce decisions which accord with the
\npeople's aspirations.<\/p>\n
The scuffle among the Assembly members was an example of the
\nAssembly members just focusing on their own interests.<\/p>\n
Suwarni, 38, an administrative staffer in Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity's central office, Yogyakarta: the Session is a useless
\nproject that wastes time and money.<\/p>\n
I see nothing of benefit to the ordinary people, like myself,
\ndiscussed there. The most interesting thing I saw was the heated
\nquarrel between Assembly members.<\/p>\n
The MPR Annual Session should be abolished because it will
\nonly provides an opportunity for greedy politicians to
\nperpetually engage in political maneuvering that will worsen the
\npolitical climate.<\/p>\n
Kuncoro, 43, a mechanic at an auto repair workshop on Jl. A.M.
\nSangaji, Yogyakarta: One thing I can't understand is why
\npoliticians never empathize with the public's suffering. Up till
\nnow, the economic crisis remains unsolved.<\/p>\n
But, they (the politicians) can only think of their own
\ninterests by insisting that the Assembly meet once a year. How
\nmuch money is being spent on this Annual Session? I would be in
\nfavor if the MPR were only to meet once in every five years.<\/p>\n
I don't know anything about what they are discussing at the
\nsession. Actually, I simply don't care about that.<\/p>",
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