NGOs should not take over MPR

NGOs should not take over MPR

From Republika

Indonesian-based NGOs have increasingly shown that they know
best and have demonstrated their self-righteousness.

Also, the NGOs -- with no clear identity or objectives --
always feel that they are blessed to act on behalf of the
Indonesian people even though, as far as we know, Indonesians
have never given them any mandate, not even a power of attorney.
Moreover, Indonesians have never been invited to discuss the
issues with them.

Yet, the more Indonesian people let such organizations --
groups which are American/European franchises -- perform their
tasks, the more comfortable they will become in this capacity.

However bad the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and its
members may be, or, however big the political party's interests
may be, there is no reason for NGOs to take over the
responsibility of MPR as the most legitimate people's
representation in establishing a constitution.

Whatever results the MPR may produce, it will be evaluated and
acted on by the people directly through such things as the
general election. Explicitly, staging a coup d'etat against MPR
authorities means taking over the people's sovereignty
surrendered to the MPR through a legitimate, competent and legal
general election.

As part of the legal community, I myself urge MPR and its
members to hold on to the people's mandate. Pressures exerted by
NGOs in their rowdy style have sold out the name of the country's
people. Only a handful of local NGOs, which used to inexhaustibly
make positive contributions, have been chipping away at the
people's sovereignty by making use of the weaknesses of the MPR,
an institution which is now considered not to be populist.

I, therefore, propose to the MPR not to be trapped in NGOs'
primitive habits of provocation, pressure and destabilization
through mass media psychological warfare (especially through
daily newspapers and private television stations as part of the
conspiracy).

Secondly, every person and every non-constitutional
institution can give only input about the results of the MPR.
They have no right to take over the MPR's role.

ANNUR PARLINDUNGAN

Medan, North Sumatra