W

hile some lawmakers have offered valid excuses for their absences from the last plenary session of the House of Representatives, most could not offer anything beyond laziness.

The whereabouts of some legislators are already known. Abdul Hadi Djamal from the National Mandate Party (PAN) skipped the session because he was busy taking a bribe in Jakarta and dealing with arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission. "We have to admit that many legislators skipped the meeting out of nothing more than laziness," legislator Ganjar Pranowo from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said.

He said many lawmakers, like Abdul, were under pressure to gather funds for their election campaigns.

Ganjar said the campaigns would require a lot of funding, most likely from sources other their official income, despite the fact legislators earn Rp 90 million per month.

At the last sitting session before recess on Tuesday, less than 100 of the 550 House members attended the meeting.

Others legislators were quick to blame a recent regulation by the Constitutional Court, which rules that seats go to the candidates with the most votes, for the absences, claiming it was pushing legislators into overdrive with their public campaigning efforts.

"You see, the court's decision has really forced those legislators nominated for re-election to skip meetings and focus on campaigning in their own electoral district," Mahfudz Siddiq from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said.

House disciplinary council deputy chairman Gayus Lumbuun said many legislators skipped the meeting despite a number of bills needing deliberation.