Legislature needs support

Legislature needs support

As our new People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais and House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung have both pointed out, our people need a firm commitment (to reform) from all of us in this time of crisis. The problem is will the House be able to fulfill its promise?

We commend both these leaders for their stated commitment. Indonesians have long hankered to have a strong and respected legislature to represent them and exert control over the executive. In the past, our House of Representatives was a true rubber-stamp legislature.

Indonesians now hope that the new DPR will prove itself to be better than those legislatures. In the past, the extraordinary powers with which the executive was infested and the arbitrary actions which that brought on the people resulted in many hardships. Power tends to corrupt.

It would seem, however, that Akbar Tandjung will have to work hard since mere enthusiasm is not enough to make the House work with optimum effectiveness. To achieve this, the assistance from the public at large and from the media will still be needed.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta