House celebrates 64th birthday

No show? Although it celebrates its 64th birthday on Friday, the House of Representatives still suffers a lack of enthusiasm from its legislators. A lot of empty seats are evident in the celebratory plenary meeting. JP/Hans David

The House of Representatives celebrates its 64th birthday today; however, the event is shadowed by its unsatisfactory performance over the last year, its potential for failure in producing a targeted 284 laws, and various scandals involving House legislators.

"It is predicted that the House will be able to pass 174 out of 284 bills into law at the end of the current term," House speaker Agung Laksono of the Golkar Party faction said in his opening speech Friday.

Agung said he hoped his fellow legislators would commit to improving their performance while the House is coming under fire from the public. Non-governmental organizations and legislative body watchdogs have joined in, criticizing the House for not deliberating crucial bills effectively.

The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has also criticized the House for its reluctancy to pass the Corruption Court bill into law due to behind-the-scenes politicking and vested interests. Additionally, the State Secrecy bill has been met by opposition, because it is perceived as a tool to limit press freedom.

"We often read news in the media that is distressing or unnerving, but that's its role. Without their reporting, the House is unlikely to ever improve. Therefore, we wish to thank the media for continuously monitoring our moves in delivering  the people's mandate,"  Agung added. (hdt)