Legislators threaten to resign

MEDAN, North Sumatra: The speaker of the provincial legislature, Mat Iskak, claimed yesterday that as many as 54 legislators were ready to resign if the political, economic and legal reforms demanded by the people failed to be achieved.

"We are confident that the government has conducted reform efforts in all sectors. However, if reforms are not realized, I and 53 others from the North Sumatra provincial legislature are ready to resign," he said during a rally of about 7,000 students at Sumatra Utara University on Saturday.

Another provincial legislator, Fadlan Thaher, said the legislature had long been ineffective due to continued suppression through political laws.