T

he description of the House of Representatives by late president Abdurrahman '€œGus Dur'€ Wahid is still fresh in people'€™s minds '€” a '€œkindergarten'€, he called the rowdy legislature during his term in office.

The '€œkindergarten'€ came to life again on Tuesday when a table, microphones and mineral water bottles were thrown down by lawmakers from the United Development Party (PPP). This latest disheartening report was a far cry from the high hopes for the new government. As President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s Cabinet is not considered star-studded, the House will be crucial to monitor and supervise the executive branch.

However, any such hopes evaporated shortly after the installment of the new lawmakers at the beginning of October, as they notoriously ended the direct election of regional heads after a plenary session that lasted almost an entire day and night. The intense politicking continues, as House members fight over the leadership seats of the commissions and other House bodies, before they can start work early next year.

What the public saw once again on Tuesday was lawmakers'€™ obsession with short-term political interests, which in the context of the PPP is the rivalry between its two factions.

The House leadership, dominated by the Red-and-White Coalition, took advantage of its power by immediately acknowledging the PPP faction under embattled chairman Suryadharma Ali, and ignoring the other PPP faction that has expressed support for the coalition led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which supported Jokowi'€™s presidential bid.

The new government will benefit from a House that is increasingly seen by the public as divided and lacking credibility, if the House continues to be perceived as ignoring the public interest. The general public will lose out, however, if the government goes unchecked while political parties remain trapped in infighting. People have come to realize that our back-and-forth democracy is something that we have to live with, much like natural disasters.

Nevertheless, after almost 70 years of independence, citizens expect more maturity from politicians, especially after this year'€™s most divisive presidential election. The '€œWorking Cabinet'€ has met with protests over the lack of representation of certain ethnic groups, but this is mostly in jest as people are eager for immediate breakthroughs from all ministers.

What our politicians fail to realize is the low importance people attach to the political parties, appreciating merely that we need a functioning House to pass laws, supervise the government and deliberate the state budget. Regional legislative councils (DPRDs) are also known for narrow-interest maneuvering instead of reflecting genuine concern for their constituencies. The Aceh DPRD, which recently rushed to pass a new sharia-based criminal code without much consultation, and the Jakarta DPRD, which is fussing over the installation of acting governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama as governor, are only two examples.

Just as with the new Cabinet ministers, our politicians should also be reminded to '€œwork, work and work'€.