Lawmakers admit to 'fruitless' trip<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Legislators just back from Egypt have conceded that they
\naccomplished little, blaming technical glitches and erratic
\nchanges in schedule for the costly but ineffective trip.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Monday after a closed-door meeting with House of
\nRepresentatives Speaker Agung Laksono and Deputy Speaker Zaenal
\nMa'arif, the lawmakers apologized to the public if the Egyptian
\ntrip was considered inconsequential.<\/p>\n
Delegation leader Roestanto Wahidi, of the Democratic Party,
\nsaid only two experiences during the seven-day visit could be
\nuseful in improving the House's internal management.<\/p>\n
The two were a two-hour meeting with the Egyptian parliament,
\nwhich was represented only by its speaker Fathi Sourur, and a
\nquick glimpse at an international library in Alexandria, Egypt's
\nmost popular tourist destination.<\/p>\n
\"We learned a lot about Egyptian parliamentary procedures in
\nwelcoming guests, and the layout of their parliament building.
\nThose were the most important things we learned,\" Roestanto said.<\/p>\n
He and other delegation members said the proposed
\noutline for the trip had been altered due to flight problems,
\ntechnical errors and schedule changes made by the hosts, despite
\ntheir assurances early on that they were ready to meet any
\nrequests.<\/p>\n
Roestanto said the delegates, who arrived home on Friday
\nafternoon, had been given for their \"comparative study\" a number
\nof parliamentary documents in Arabic, which would later be
\ntranslated into Indonesian.<\/p>\n
He said the House's delegation also met with Indonesian
\nstudents, a group of female workers and other government
\nrepresentatives during the visit, which also included Dubai.<\/p>\n
The returning lawmakers denied they had engaged in
\nrecreational activities, despite their trip itinerary including
\noutings to recreational sites.<\/p>\n
Fifteen members of the House's ways and means committee left
\nquietly for Egypt on Dec. 16 amid mounting public criticism.<\/p>\n
The trip, which cost around US$76,170, had earlier been
\ncanceled due to its irrelevance and ineffectiveness, but was
\nlater approved when it was learned that the Egyptian parliament
\nhad already made preparations for it.<\/p>\n
Six of the visiting lawmakers were accompanied by their wives,
\nbut claimed any additional expenses had come out of their own
\npockets.<\/p>\n
When arriving back in Jakarta, the delegates played a cat and
\nmouse game with journalists who spotted them on Friday at
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport.<\/p>\n
Delegation deputy leader Ebby Djauharie, from the Golkar
\nParty, said he would work on a mechanism for the public to be
\nbetter informed about House foreign trips.<\/p>\n
Outside the House building, a group of Muslim students and
\nactivists staged on Monday a rally to demand that the 15
\nlawmakers return the funds they had spent on the trip.<\/p>\n
Protest leader Arief Tri Sarjono said the trip was a waste of
\nstate money and proof that the lawmakers lacked a sense of crisis
\nconsidering the problems the nation faced, such as famine and
\nspiraling poverty.<\/p>\n
Roestanto said he personally refused to return the money, but
\nwould leave the final decision to House Speaker Agung Laksono and
\nhis deputy Zaenal Ma'arif, who both endorsed the much-criticized
\nvisit.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lawmakers-admit-to-fruitless-trip-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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