'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