Councillors off on foreign trip

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: The provincial legislature here has closed up shop for the time being, with all of the councillors having left the building.

The legislature has been left vacant since Wednesday, when 73 councillors departed in separate groups for Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Two other councillors are traveling to Semarang and Surabaya.

The trips are described as comparative studies, and were met with criticism.

"Why did they leave this building empty?" Rudi, who came to file a complaint, muttered.

M. Suharni, a researcher from the Institute of Public Policy Study and People Participation, called the trips a waste of time, energy and money.

"The comparative studies will mean nothing to the effort to improve the legislature's performance. It is a kind of mission impossible, because they cannot find any valuable information in such a short time. Moreover, they will face language barriers during their overseas trips," said Suharni.

Considering the protracted economic turmoil, the trips serve as evidence that the councillors lack a sense of crisis, he added. (33)