MPR session dismays people in the street

MPR session dismays people in the street

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The ongoing Annual Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly is being mocked as "elitist" and there are complaints
that legislators are out of touch with the interests of the
general public they are supposed to represent.

The following are comments from average citizens of various
backgrounds.

Subari, a taxi driver: As long as there are no riots and I'm
able to make a living to provide for my family, I'm not really
concerned about the MPR session.

But it's funny how the legislators exchange punches like that.
It makes me wonder about the quality of the people who are
representing Indonesians.

Desy Alfrianti, 23, a university graduate: The Annual Session?
It's nothing to me. I feel disappointed by the legislators. What
can they do but waste taxpayers' money?

Don't expect satisfactory results, they can't even demonstrate
goodwill and improve the current terrible condition here. Instead
of working hard for the country, they acted like children on
Thursday (when they were involved in a brawl). Ironic.

Lisa Gunawan, 29, an employee at a foreign bank: They (the
legislators) are only squandering the people's money. No benefits
can be expected from the session if they continue getting
involved in brawls.

The MPR members must learn how to seriously keep the
Indonesian people's interest in their minds instead of pursuing
their own.

Sanudin, 41, a drink vendor: The budget spent for the session
would have been much more useful had it been spent on public
needs. And how can our nation act honorably if the legislators
display their primitive character by brawling on the first day of
the session?

Rizky, 19, a university student: The benefits are too far away
for us, but the system obliges them to hold the session and
there's nothing we can do in the near future to fix it.

The legislators have missed the target. They must come down
among the general public and see the reality for themselves.

Ari, a fashion and accessories trader: I have no interest in
the session whatsoever. We, the merchants in Mangga Dua, have not
yet received any benefit from it, such as a stable currency,
security and order.

Yuli, a housewife: I don't care about what they do as long as
our city is safe and clean.

Rudi Syahputra, a student at the University of Indonesia: We
regret the spending of Rp 18 billion in taxpayers' money to
organize this useless Annual Session.

They are doing things that the general public does not even
comprehend. People are joking about them. They convene for the
money instead of for the people's interest.

Why haven't there been any clear results on the deliberation
on the constitutional amendment or the presidential election? It
seems that the Assembly is already out of touch with the reform
agenda.

Particularly regrettable is the fighting incident among the
lawmakers last week. That added credence to the stigma that the
session is useless.

Riko, a shoeshine boy at the Assembly complex: I hope prices
(of consumer goods) will go down after the Annual Session so that
I can buy more things for my mom, my brother and sister.

I have to help my parents earn a living because their income
is not enough for the whole family. My father is a bus driver and
my mom is a vegetable seller at Palmerah market (in Central
Jakarta).

At first, I thought I could earn more from this Annual
Session. You know many people come here but few need my service.
I earn more on regular days.

I don't understand what they (legislators) have been talking
about, but there was one thing that I remember most: when the MPR
members scuffled the other day.

I saw it on TV and I was stunned. I have seen many a fracas
similar to that at Palmerah market involving peasants.