To Blog or To Sleep, That is the Question...

...it has been a long day, and as my comrades are fast asleep in their little beds, I, martyr blogger, am carrying out my self-assigned blogging duties.

What a wonderful day. We are beat, but it was incredible. I don't think I can even begin to sum it up accurately, but I will try to give you an idea of what we experienced today.

Our first scheduled meeting was with Marzuki Alie, Chairman of the House of Representatives. He had to meet with the President, so we met with a Deputy Speaker of the House, Ir. H Pramono Anung Wibowo, MM (Master of Management). We met in a room that, for Indonesia, was comparable to the US Oval Office.

In Indonesia, the House of Representatives is referred to as DPR (Dewan Persakilan Rakyat). There are 560 members representing nine (9) political parties. The DPR is considered to be more powerful than the  Senate (which is comparable to the US Senate).

Here is some specific information we learned from Mr. Wibowo today:

• Currently, Jakarta is Indonesia's capitol city; however, among many factors, which include congestion and enormous size, there is serious consideration to relocate the Capitol. 
• Among one of the most relevant issues in Jakarta is transportation, which is essentially the responsibility of the governor. Transportation is at its peek Monday through Friday (even though at 12:19 a.m. I still see quite a bit if traffic out of my hotel window), with Saturdays and Sundays considered "car-free days." Many families can own up to 9 modes of motorized transportation (i.e.: car, motorcycle, moped, etc).
• Infrastructure concerns are also evident in this City, where such planning seems to be varied and inconsistent, even non-existent in many areas. 
• Indonesia's national motto is Unity through Diversity, and immigration rarely surfaces for discussion because it is not an issue. Usually, refugees are merely traveling through Indonesia in order to reach Australia as their ultimate destination. 
• The size of the seas surrounding the 18,000+ islands of Indonesia is also a relevant issue due to regulations of fishing vessels and other seaworthy travelers. 
• Elections in Indonesia are very complicated and expensive. At minimum, a three-tiered process exists wherein there is a primary, run-off and general election. 
• The last election was held in 2009, and those elected will serve a five (5) year term.
• 2009 was the first time Indonesia experienced a direct vote of the people. Prior elections were conducted by political party.  

Women play a strong role in the Indonesian government, despite a on-going struggle to reach such political power. In fact, by their own legislation, DPR requires that 30% of parliamentary members be women. Currently, 18% are women, up from 11% from the last election. Additionally, the former Indonesian President is a woman (we will meet her later in the week).

Speaking of strong women, it was by chance that we stopped to sit in a hearing regarding the Indonesian Constitution, and we had the pleasure of personally meeting with Parliament Member Nurul Arifin, S.IP., M.Si. The video below shows Ms. Arifin in action at the hearing.

After the hearing, she graciously spent time with us sharing the female struggle within Indonesian politics as well as some of the issues and challenges with which politically involved women face. Interestingly enough, this struggle doesn't lessen the importance or achievements of women in elected government positions, and the men we have met speak highly of the importance of women in government.

Our day ended with a formal private dinner hosted by Ms. Connie Rahakundini Bakrie, Executive Director of the Institute of of Defense and Security Studies (IODAS) and Mr. LTG (retired General) Djadja Suparman, Board of Advisory (IODAS) at the Hotel Dharmawangsa. The evening's discussion focused largely on maritime issues including shipping lanes and trade routes.

Okay, it's late, and tonight I leave you with this short video of Luthfi leading Nicole and I across the street in Jakarta. He is *shooing* the cars away. I thought life as we knew it was soon to be over, but we survived! Yay, Luthfi!

Cheers!

Martyr Blogger
Washington State