'Annual Session does nothing for the public'

The 10-day-long Annual Session comes to a close on Saturday, but many ordinary people have been less than impressed because it has not tackled issues that relate to the public's needs and interests.

Bahal Berman, is a taxi driver who comes from Medan, North Sumatra. He resides in Jatibening, Bekasi with his only son and wife. He has been living in the city for 13 years:

It doesn't matter whether the Annual Session lasts ten days or even a month because it is useless and has not come up with any solutions to help the poor.

Because of the session, the police have conducted a series of security operations that have caused a decrease in the number of taxi passengers and therefore my earnings.

Frankly speaking, I regret being born Indonesian. Who would want to live in a country like this? But I respect my ancestors, so whether I like it or not I have to live here.

Indonesia is a very rich country but its people have suffered due to the ignorance of its leaders.

Jaya, 45, has been working as a gasoline truck driver for five years. He lives in Pondok Kopi, East Jakarta with his three children and wife. He comes from Cirebon, West Java:

I used to believe that members of the People's Consultative Assembly were my representatives. But seeing those supposedly respectable legislators busy fighting for their own political interests, I have made up my mind. I can't trust them any longer.

After the Annual Session finishes, I'm not sure the economic situation will get any better.

I wish the session could bring about useful results, but I doubt it will. I'm afraid the situation will just get worse.

Arif, 29, has been a small-scale retailer of diesel fuel in Plumpang, North Jakarta for five years. The native Jakartan lives with his two children and wife near Plumpang fuel depot:

Whether there is an annual session or not, it's not a big deal because it is useless and wasteful.

I would prefer there was no annual session because it just squanders money from the budget.

If the results of the session were effectively implemented, it would be OK. But I don't think that will happen, so it will just come to nothing. The best thing to do is just be ready to deal with whatever situation we are faced with.

Watching the session on TV drove me crazy as they just spoke nonsense. What the legislators were talking about had nothing to do with the public interest, it was just dealing with their own matters.

Sukirno, 13, is a first grade student from a junior high school in Karet, Central Jakarta. He lives with his family in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. After school, he works as a street beggar:

The annual session does not usually concern ordinary people. The session could be useful if legislators sided with lower- income people by providing housing and jobs.

I don't have any idea what the legislators were talking about at the assembly. But I know they were not truly thinking about the interests of the poor.

That's why I prefer watching films or soap operas to daily broadcasts of the session.

I hope the Constitution does not need changing because at school our teachers still tell us that the country's constitution is the 1945 Constitution.