N

strong>Nov. 16, p1

After refusing to meet demands from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)-led Great Indonesia Coalition, the Red-and-White Coalition has agreed to amend part of the 2014 Legislative Institutions (MD3) Law.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between two senior PDI-P politicians and members of the Red-and-White Coalition at the residence of National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Hatta Rajasa on Jl. Fatmawati, South Jakarta, on Saturday.

Your comments:

The President must do the best for this country like he promised during the campaign.

Helmy

This is how a real elected democracy works '€” a new experience for Indonesia. If the elected president leads a minority in the legislature it'€™s a big problem. The only way forward is through continuously doing unsavory deals in smoke-filled backrooms.

Agreements and coalitions are ephemeral things that come and go. They get nastier and fall apart as elections approach. Look how power sharing in the UK is going at the moment, with the next election just a few months away.

For the time being, good luck to all concerned, but be ready for some unpleasantness soon, especially when Jokowi'€™s honeymoon with the public comes to an end early next year.

Indonesia needs a head of state who is above politics and outside of it. So when things get out of hand he can dissolve the legislature as you suggest. Also the laws must allow this to happen.

If the members of the legislature know they are in for, say, five years come what may, then they can become lazy and idle (not at all like Indonesian lawmakers I quickly hasten to add!).

Terry McAsee