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.