Councillors off on foreign trip

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)