House speaker having trouble facilitating legislators

House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie from the Democratic Party is having trouble facilitating legislators’ aspirations at Wednesday's plenary session, which will determine the legislative body's final stance on the Bank Century bailout case.

Most of the legislators interrupting Marzuki are talking about matters that have nothing to do with the session's main theme.

When Roy Suryo from the Democratic Party asked the session to begin with a prayer, attendees booed him. Fahri Hamzah from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said the session should have been conducted in a smaller room so that the legislators could have communicated with each other better.

Then Theresia Pardede from the Democratic Party said her reason for interrupting was simply because she felt, as most of the previous interruptions had been from men, the session might need to hear a feminine voice.

Despite the barrage of interruptions, Marzuki continued to keep the floor open for further questions. However, several legislators protested and demanded Marzuki begin the session as soon as possible.

Marzuki responded that he felt as if he was being squashed from both sides.

"If I stop people from interrupting, you say that I am a dictator. If I facilitate them, I am not a firm leader. It is very hard to be right in Indonesia's democracy, apparently," he said.

As of now, interruptions are still taking place, most of them not discussing the main theme either.