'Ask Megawati not to make the poor cry all the time'

'Ask Megawati not to make the poor cry all the time'

Starting on Thursday, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is
holding its 10-day Annual Session, at which it will discuss the
amendment of the 1945 Constitution, listen to progress reports
from the President and high state institutions and seek ways to
improve the economic recovery. Yet people on the street are
skeptical.

Sri Puji Lestari, 32, a housewife and vendor who lives in
Paseban Barat, Central Jakarta, with her husband and two
children:

I'm just an ordinary person who won't demand too much of the
government. The only thing I hope for is that the Annual Session
will run smoothly, without disruption.

If things are safe, lower-income people can feel secure about
earning a living as usual.

I'm sure Assembly members and government officials will sit
and pretend to pay attention to the session. They get a lot of
money just for sitting down. It wouldn't work for us, because
sitting down means no money for daily needs.

Whatever the result of the session, lower-income people have a
simple wish: affordable prices for basic needs such as fuel and
rice. That's all we want -- very simple, isn't it?

However, I'm sick to death of high-ranking officials. It's
useless to voice our aspirations as we don't get any response at
all. Just send my warm regards to (President) Megawati and ask
her not to make the poor cry all the time.

Rahmat, 40, has been selling newspapers at Sarinah Department
Store and the National Monument in Central Jakarta, for four
years. The father of three children, he comes from Semarang,
Central Java, and lives at Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

What the hell is the point of holding the Annual Session here!
I wonder what they will be talking about for 10 days?

No matter how long they discuss the country's problems, they
always fall short of action to cope with them.

The Assembly will only waste public money and boost high-
ranking officials' income. Worse still, we don't get anything in
return for the money that we pay to the state.

I'm afraid that after the session, taxes and prices will go
up, thus increasing the burden on us.

If the people were to unite, it would be easy for any leader
to rule the country. As long as officials think purely of their
own interests, even the best Assembly members could never deal
effectively with all the hurdles.

Mulyono, 27, a Jakarta-born vendor who lives on Jl. Percetakan
Negara, Central Jakarta. He is single and runs a small kiosk in
Salemba:

The upcoming Annual Session is not being held at the right
time. The country continues to face intractable problems, and
most remain unresolved. It is unlikely that the session will be
able to solve them.

It would be somewhat unrealistic, too, to expect Megawati to
present a good report after only one year in office.

Megawati's performance should not be hastily assessed. Being
president in a pluralistic society like Indonesia's is no
cakewalk. Therefore, I can appreciate the difficulty she faces as
leader.

Hopefully, the session will present her with an opportunity to
improve the country. However, should students stage rallies to
protest the session, I'm sure it will worsen the atmosphere.

I guess the session should be postponed until next year, when
it would be more reasonable for the MPR to assess the
government's performance.

Tulus, 30, is an office boy at a state bank, who has been in
the same position for more than five years. He lives in
Kemayoran, Central Jakarta:

I agree that the Annual Session be held tomorrow. Hopefully it
will provide a way out of the country's complex problems, even
though I feel a bit pessimistic about its effectiveness.

I cannot hope for much more than stability so that poor people
like me can continue to live in peace in the country.

The session is unlikely to contribute much to the economic
recovery, I guess.