MPR session dismays people in the street<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The ongoing Annual Session of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly is being mocked as \"elitist\" and there are complaints
\nthat legislators are out of touch with the interests of the
\ngeneral public they are supposed to represent.<\/p>\n
The following are comments from average citizens of various
\nbackgrounds.<\/p>\n
Subari, a taxi driver: As long as there are no riots and I'm
\nable to make a living to provide for my family, I'm not really
\nconcerned about the MPR session.<\/p>\n
But it's funny how the legislators exchange punches like that.
\nIt makes me wonder about the quality of the people who are
\nrepresenting Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Desy Alfrianti, 23, a university graduate: The Annual Session?
\nIt's nothing to me. I feel disappointed by the legislators. What
\ncan they do but waste taxpayers' money?<\/p>\n
Don't expect satisfactory results, they can't even demonstrate
\ngoodwill and improve the current terrible condition here. Instead
\nof working hard for the country, they acted like children on
\nThursday (when they were involved in a brawl). Ironic.<\/p>\n
Lisa Gunawan, 29, an employee at a foreign bank: They (the
\nlegislators) are only squandering the people's money. No benefits
\ncan be expected from the session if they continue getting
\ninvolved in brawls.<\/p>\n
The MPR members must learn how to seriously keep the
\nIndonesian people's interest in their minds instead of pursuing
\ntheir own.<\/p>\n
Sanudin, 41, a drink vendor: The budget spent for the session
\nwould have been much more useful had it been spent on public
\nneeds. And how can our nation act honorably if the legislators
\ndisplay their primitive character by brawling on the first day of
\nthe session?<\/p>\n
Rizky, 19, a university student: The benefits are too far away
\nfor us, but the system obliges them to hold the session and
\nthere's nothing we can do in the near future to fix it.<\/p>\n
The legislators have missed the target. They must come down
\namong the general public and see the reality for themselves.<\/p>\n
Ari, a fashion and accessories trader: I have no interest in
\nthe session whatsoever. We, the merchants in Mangga Dua, have not
\nyet received any benefit from it, such as a stable currency,
\nsecurity and order.<\/p>\n
Yuli, a housewife: I don't care about what they do as long as
\nour city is safe and clean.<\/p>\n
Rudi Syahputra, a student at the University of Indonesia: We
\nregret the spending of Rp 18 billion in taxpayers' money to
\norganize this useless Annual Session.<\/p>\n
They are doing things that the general public does not even
\ncomprehend. People are joking about them. They convene for the
\nmoney instead of for the people's interest.<\/p>\n
Why haven't there been any clear results on the deliberation
\non the constitutional amendment or the presidential election? It
\nseems that the Assembly is already out of touch with the reform
\nagenda.<\/p>\n
Particularly regrettable is the fighting incident among the
\nlawmakers last week. That added credence to the stigma that the
\nsession is useless.<\/p>\n
Riko, a shoeshine boy at the Assembly complex: I hope prices
\n(of consumer goods) will go down after the Annual Session so that
\nI can buy more things for my mom, my brother and sister.<\/p>\n
I have to help my parents earn a living because their income
\nis not enough for the whole family. My father is a bus driver and
\nmy mom is a vegetable seller at Palmerah market (in Central
\nJakarta).<\/p>\n
At first, I thought I could earn more from this Annual
\nSession. You know many people come here but few need my service.
\nI earn more on regular days.<\/p>\n
I don't understand what they (legislators) have been talking
\nabout, but there was one thing that I remember most: when the MPR
\nmembers scuffled the other day.<\/p>\n
I saw it on TV and I was stunned. I have seen many a fracas
\nsimilar to that at Palmerah market involving peasants.<\/p>",
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