Never let differences divide, Wahono says
JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Wahono reminded the nation yesterday that differences are acceptable and should not be allowed to cause enmity and division between people.
"In the increasingly dynamic arena of public life, we can't entirely eliminate the potential for friction, conflict or discord.
"Differences in opinion are legitimate in our state's life, but don't let us allow those differences to plunge us into enmity and strife," Wahono said in his address during the inauguration of the new House of Representatives administrative building yesterday.
He stressed that what was needed, instead, was mechanism and agreement about the manner in which differences should be resolved. Differences should be resolved in peaceful, ethical, just, wise and mature ways, he was quoted by Antara as saying.
"The stance implies that all constitutional institutions should meet their respective duties. Otherwise, Indonesia will plunge into disasters caused by the tyranny of the minority or the domination of the majority," he said.
Present at the ceremony were former House Speaker Kharis Suhud, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Coordinating Minister for Economy and Finance Saleh Afiff, Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar, State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad.
The new 24-story building is on a 56,502-square-meter plot at Senayan, and each House member has a 24-square-meter room. It was built by PT Citra Adhi Joint Operation, a joint venture between PT Citra Lamtorogung Persada, owned by President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, and state-owned construction firm PT Adhi Karya.
According to House Secretary-General Afif Ma'roef the project, which began in 1993, cost Rp 116.07 billion (US$48.4 million).
"The new building is not meant to place the House members in an ivory tower separated from the people they represent," Wahono said. "It has been built to help the legislators concentrate and be more productive in channeling public aspirations." (swe)