Parliamentary ethics

Parliamentary ethics

Aside from the question of whether the President's policy address will be accepted or rejected, we hope that this first gathering of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in this era of reform will proceed successfully, and that the Assembly can produce resolutions that contribute to the establishment of a civil society in a new Indonesia.

Interruptions and expressions of disapproval are normal parts of democracy, which is what we are seeking to establish. The democracy that we want to build, however, is one that cherishes good ethics. We hope the show of democracy which our legislators are now displaying in the MPR can serve as an example for the Indonesian public at large.

We are happy to see that the democratic processes that we have been witnessing during this MPR session have been getting better and better so far. Whether the President's speech should be accepted or rejected is for the people's representatives to decide. We hope, though, that that decision will be made on considerations that transcend narrow group or factional interests. The interests which our legislators in the MPR are representing are first and foremost those of the Indonesian population as a whole.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta