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