'Morality is dead in this country'

'Morality is dead in this country'

Fed up with the empty promises from Jakarta councillors, a
residents forum, FAKTA, drew up an actual, legally binding
contract based on Locke's political philosophy -- that a "social
contract", a mutually supportive understanding of moral
responsibility, existed between the governing and the governed in
a civil society. The Jakarta Post talked to some residents on
whether drawing up an actual contract between councillors and
residents could restore the public trust.

Kalana, 31, is a copywriter at an advertising agency and lives
in Cimanggis, Depok:

It's encouraging to see that some of us still care enough to
initiate a moral movement for a better country.

But we have heard many moral movements before, none of which
have come to any good. Legislators and councillors are still
corrupt.

It is a good idea to make the politicians honor their
promises, but I'm pessimistic this will happen unless all of us
push them to bow to the public interest.

It won't be easy, though. Morality has long been dead in this
country.

Ramida Siringoringo, 29, is a program officer at a non-
governmental organization for children in Slipi, West Jakarta.
She lives in Cengkareng, West Jakarta:

Personally, I don't believe in this so-called social contract.
It does not have any legal basis and has been signed only to win
people's votes. If the councillors do not keep their promises
after they are elected, there is nothing the public can do.

I think the politicians should not make promises during their
campaigns -- this only makes things worse. I think they should
just try to do their job properly and be responsible in their
tasks. But the problem is, we know our politicians are not like
that and cannot be like that.

I think the government should develop a law stipulating that
every politician who breaks their promises would go to jail. I
believe this would be much better than a social contract,
although law enforcement in Indonesia is also questionable.

Is it possible to make such a law, I wonder?

--The Jakarta Post