{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1071763,
        "msgid": "south-sumatra-legislators-under-fire-over-trips-1447893297",
        "date": "2001-11-19 00:00:00",
        "title": "South Sumatra legislators under fire over trips",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "South Sumatra legislators under fire over trips Bahrul Ilmi Yakup, The Jakarta Post, Palembang Trips by South Sumatra legislators that cost Rp 2.5 billion (US$250,000), to a number of provinces has sparked strong criticism from activists and local political observers who said the provincial legislative council had no sense of crisis.",
        "content": "<p>South Sumatra legislators under fire over trips<\/p>\n<p>Bahrul Ilmi Yakup, The Jakarta Post, Palembang<\/p>\n<p>Trips by South Sumatra legislators that cost Rp 2.5 billion<br>\n(US$250,000), to a number of provinces has sparked strong<br>\ncriticism from activists and local political observers who said<br>\nthe provincial legislative council had no sense of crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Suharni, a researcher at the Center for Policy Studies and<br>\nPeople's Participation (PKKPR) in the provincial capital, said it<br>\nwas not a good time for the provincial legislative council to<br>\nconduct comparative studies in other provinces as most local<br>\npeople were facing serious economic problems.<\/p>\n<p>\"If they really needed information on the progress in other<br>\nprovinces, they could get it through the Internet and mass media.<br>\nThe comparative studies were only an excuse for them to have a<br>\npicnic and waste the legislature's budget,\" she said.<\/p>\n<p>All 45 members of the provincial legislative council early<br>\nthis month conducted a series of trips to Bangka-Belitung,<br>\nJakarta, West Java, Central Java and Yogyakarta as part of a<br>\ncomparative study on the progress in the provinces.<\/p>\n<p>Together with a two-week trip to Singapore, Malaysia and<br>\nThailand last July, the provincial legislative council has spent<br>\na total of Rp 2.5 billion for the comparative study program.<\/p>\n<p>Joko Siswanto, a political expert from Sriwijaya University in<br>\nthe city said the legislature should be accountable to the people<br>\nfor the comparative study program.<\/p>\n<p>\"Following the two series of trips to a number of provinces,<br>\nthe provincial legislature's performance has not improved and<br>\nlegislators remain insensitive to the poverty of the local<br>\npeople,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Yudi Ardianta, a human rights activist, criticized the trips<br>\nas a waste of money, saying such programs would make the local<br>\npeople apathetic.<\/p>\n<p>\"If the legislators had a sense of crisis, they should ask the<br>\nprovincial administration to reallocate the funds to finance<br>\nprojects for the benefit of the local people,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Iskandar Zulkarnain, secretary-general of the provincial<br>\nlegislature, countered the criticisms, saying the local and<br>\nforeign trips had been scheduled long before they were conducted<br>\nand funds used for the two trips had been part of the province's<br>\n2000 budget.<\/p>\n<p>\"It was impossible for the legislature to cancel the trips<br>\nbecause the funds were available,\" he said, asserting that the<br>\ntrips were expected to strengthen legislators' vision on<br>\ndemocracy, law enforcement, legislative rights and economic<br>\ndevelopment.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/south-sumatra-legislators-under-fire-over-trips-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}