Lethargy at national legislature

Over the past few weeks, the sessions in the House of Representatives, including meetings with government agencies, have been marked by an air of lethargy. A number of sessions were postponed because there were too few House members to make a quorum. This situation is partly caused by the fact that many House members are busy seeing that their administrative prerequisites are in order so they can be renominated after the general elections.

We realize that many of our legislators depend on their House memberships for a living. For this reason the chance of a renomination is not to be forfeited and every effort is made to secure the position. Even so, their available time could be better managed. After all, is it not one of the duties of legislators to attend the sessions?

Some observers believe that the lethargy hanging over the House of Representatives is caused by ineffective control mechanisms at the national legislature. For example, faction leaders are often reluctant to discipline members who repeatedly fail to attend sessions.

We hope that whether or not control is exerted, the members of the House will become more aware of the trust that has been given to them. That trust should be reciprocated.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta