Legislators running out of steam

JAKARTA (JP): The Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has still one week to run, but some legislators have already felt the pressure and begun to run out of steam.

The first signal of their declining form came early on Thursday when the morning plenary session failed to achieve a quorum. This forced MPR Speaker Amien Rais, who presided over the session, to postpone the meeting for 30 minutes to 9.30 a.m. so as to accommodate the latecomers.

Vacant seats were seen in every corner of the Assembly hall when the gathering, which was scheduled to hear factions' responses to the MPR's Working Committee's performance, was adjourned.

As if to confirm the state of listlessness, a number of MPR legislators were caught asleep by TV cameramen.

When adjourning the session at noon to allow Muslim legislators to say prayers and everybody to eat lunch, Amien insisted on the Assembly members to be punctual.

"Don't leave the room for unnecessary reasons," Amien reminded, amid cheers from the floor. (prb)