So much to do, so little time<\/p>\n
Honorable members of the House of Representatives returned to
\nwork on Tuesday for a new session that will last only 18 working
\ndays because of the upcoming Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year
\nholidays.<\/p>\n
With so much to do and so little time at its disposal, the
\nHouse would be wise to utilize it optimally to produce one or two
\ntangible results. At a time when the performance of both the
\nexecutive and legislative branches of the government are under
\nclose public scrutiny, this is the very least that the honorable
\nmembers, elected or otherwise, could do for the nation.<\/p>\n
If the House were to focus its attention on limited items,
\ninstead of going for a very broad agenda during this short
\nworking session, it might just present some meaningful results,
\ncall them Idul Fitri or Christmas gifts, to the nation.<\/p>\n
Conversely, failure to produce something significant could
\nfurther hurt the image of the House, which has increasingly been
\nseen as nothing more than a talking shop with little to show for
\nits efforts.<\/p>\n
The House is already confronted by a long list of bills that
\nis should be deliberating, with a host of investigation hearings
\nto conduct and other numerous tasks to complete. It would be very
\neasy for the House to lose focus and to end the 18-day session
\nwithout producing anything of substance.<\/p>\n
It would be even easier for House members to get distracted
\nand be dragged into new and often time-wasting polemics. We have
\nseen a lot of that recently, which explains why their
\nproductivity is appallingly low when it comes to producing new
\nlegislation.<\/p>\n
Even the small amount of legislation that has been passed was
\nsent back for revision and amendment. Cases in point are the two
\nlaws pertaining to regional autonomy, and the labor law.<\/p>\n
The National Police bill was sent back to the drawing board
\nlast month because of last-minute public opposition on the eve of
\nits final passage. Since then, there has been very little
\npublicity about the new law to convince us that the objections
\nraised about the bill have been addressed.<\/p>\n
The National Police bill is a classic example of how
\nlegislation, which affects the lives of many people, is
\ndeliberated without the benefit of public hearings. We hope the
\nHouse has learned its lessons for future legislation.<\/p>\n
It is worth remembering that the House has managed to empower
\nitself thanks, in no small measure, to the reform movement,
\nstarted three years ago. Both the legislative and executive
\nbranches of the government owe their positions to the public.<\/p>\n
With the executive branch at a loss for direction and
\nleadership, some of the onus has fallen on the House to provide
\nthe impetus for furthering -- some might say restarting -- the
\nnation's reform agenda. With the administration seemingly devoid
\nof any sense of crisis, the House should become the better half
\nof the government and show the nation the gravity of the
\nsituation facing the country today.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, some members of the House seem to have become
\nintoxicated by their new-found power. We have seen cases of abuse
\nof power and privileges by House members. The House, for example,
\ncannot be absolved from blame for stalling some of the crucial
\neconomic reform programs of the government.<\/p>\n
Given the strong public expectations, the House would do well
\nin using this brief session to prove cynics wrong. This is a good
\ntime for the House to show that it can rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n
That may be expecting too much. But the House would go a long
\nway toward repairing its public image by completing one or two of
\nthe dozens of pending items in its agenda before it goes into
\nrecess again on December 13.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, in his speech kicking off the
\nsession on Tuesday, spelled out some of the more pressing agenda
\nitems for the House over the next 17 days: the appointment of a
\nnew police chief and of new ambassadors to the United States and
\nSaudi Arabia, the deliberations on a money laundering bill and
\nthe passage of bills on the National Police and national
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
To this list, we should add the debate on whether or not the
\nHouse should commence an investigation into the Bulog scandal,
\nwhich implicates Akbar himself. Surely, anything that smacks of
\ncorruption and abuse of power in high places -- the Bulog case
\nseems to have those indications -- must be investigated. Clean
\ngovernment and good governance, after all, are the goals of
\nreform.<\/p>\n
May this be a very productive Ramadhan for honorable House
\nmembers.<\/p>",
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