Money talks in city corridors of power<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Almost all political activities in the city, such as the approval
\nof the city budget and the governor's accountability speech, as
\nwell as the recent gubernatorial election this year, were tainted
\nby allegations of money politics.<\/p>\n
It is suspected that money played an important role in the
\napproval of the budget in January and the acceptance of Governor
\nSutiyoso's accountability speech in July. It is also believed
\nthat money \"talked\" in Sutiyoso's victory during the electoral
\nrace in September.<\/p>\n
Money politics was just \"believed\" or \"suspected\", as it was
\nlegally difficult to prove. There was a lack of admissible
\nevidence, such as letters, documents or bills, which could have
\nbeen used in court.<\/p>\n
Those allegedly involved in money politics, including city
\nadministration officials and councillors, denied it all. Although
\nthere were some bribery confessions, the statements were
\nsubsequently revoked.<\/p>\n
Most information about money politics was from people not
\ninvolved in the crimes concerned, including non-governmental
\norganizations known for their sharp criticism.<\/p>\n
\"They 'sang' because they didn't get the money. They would
\nhave accepted the money if it had been offered to them,\" some
\ncritics said, referring to those who made bribery allegations.<\/p>\n
The first instance of money politics was believed to have
\noccurred between January and February this year when the city
\nadministration sought the Council's approval for the Rp 9.7
\ntrillion 2002 city budget.<\/p>\n
It was reported that Sutiyoso would provide Rp 3 billion for
\nthe city's 85 councillors, should they approve the budget, which
\nincluded planned projects and allocation of the Rp 9.7 trillion.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso and the councillors denied the report, first revealed
\nby activist Azas Tigor Nainggolan, chairman of the Jakarta
\nResidents Forum (Fakta).<\/p>\n
Angered by the accusation, the governor reported Tigor, who
\noften leads poor people in protests against the administration,
\nto the police for defamation in March.<\/p>\n
The police did not respond immediately to Sutiyoso's
\ncomplaint. Tigor was arrested in October but was released a day
\nafter being questioned.<\/p>\n
The administration later claimed that the allocation of the Rp
\n3 billion for councillors was legal, as the money was the
\naccumulated honorarium for councillors' discussion of the budget
\nand several bylaws.<\/p>\n
The administration also provided luxury rooms at city-owned
\nWisma Jaya Raya in the mountain resort of Puncak, Bogor, West
\nJava, for the councillors to discuss the 2002 budget.<\/p>\n
The whiff of money politics was also apparent in July this
\nyear when Sutiyoso read his accountability speech on the 2001
\nbudget and his final year's work performance.<\/p>\n
A majority of council faction leaders, including those from
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nNational Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party
\n(PPP) pledged to reject the governor's accountability report.<\/p>\n
But their pledge was only a bluff, as a majority of the
\nfactions ultimately accepted the report, although they
\nacknowledged Sutiyoso's bad performance. Only PAN and the minor
\nJustice Party rejected the report outright.<\/p>\n
Later, in October, councillor Rahman AR of PPP confessed
\nbefore PDI Perjuangan councillor Dadang Hamdani that he had
\nreceived Rp 250 million from the administration for accepting the
\naccountability.<\/p>\n
Rahman then denied it, saying that his statement was just a
\njoke, although Dadang said it had been made in all seriousness.<\/p>\n
Dadang quoted Rachman as saying that he (Rachman) could
\nreceive another Rp 250 million if he reelected Sutiyoso as
\ngovernor, but as his faction had nominated another candidate, he
\nmerely received Rp 250 million for accepting the governor's
\naccountability report.<\/p>\n
It is also believed that city councillors received not only
\ncash for supporting Sutiyoso. They were also able to take free
\nforeign trips to Spain, Bangkok, Beijing and Morocco.<\/p>\n
The councillors clandestinely went on the trips, which were
\nfinanced by the budgets of city agencies and offices, instead of
\ntheir own council budget.<\/p>\n
But, of course, the governor rejected all accusations of money
\npolitics. As for the foreign trips, Sutiyoso claimed that his
\nofficials were often forced by councillors to finance them.<\/p>\n
Last year, the councillors also made trips overseas but the
\noutcome of the trips was useless, even though the participants
\nclaimed to have carried out comparative studies instead of just
\ngoing on a junket.<\/p>\n
However, not only Sutiyoso bestowed money and facilities on
\ncouncillors. Other gubernatorial candidates reportedly also
\nshowered money on councillors in order to elect them.<\/p>\n
Candidate Mahfud Djailani admitted to giving a down payment of
\nRp 200 million to 40 councillors to elect him in the election in
\nSeptember. He asked the councillors to return the money when he
\nfound he had secured only 11 votes in the election.<\/p>\n
Mahfud threatened to reveal the names of the councillors if
\nthey did not return the money. But he then revoked his statement,
\nsaying the Rp 200 million had been spent on dinner invitations at
\na hotel.<\/p>\n
It was unclear whether the councillors have returned the
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
Many councillors admitted to having been invited by Mahfud,
\nbut denied receiving any money during the dinner. But councillor
\nSupangat said that after the dinner, he and other councillors
\nreceived transportation payments, which, according to sources,
\namounted to Rp 5 million each.<\/p>\n
Another gubernatorial candidate, Endang Darmawan, reportedly
\ngave 10 cheques worth a total of Rp 450 million to 10 councillors
\nfrom PAN. Endang secured only two votes and the cheques were
\nreportedly blank.<\/p>\n
Money also \"talks\" during hearings of the Council.<\/p>\n
Councillor Ugiek Soegihardjo of PDI Perjuangan admitted
\nearlier in February that he was offered a \"bribe\" of only Rp 20
\nmillion from city-owned firm PT Jakarta Fairground.<\/p>\n
Ugiek believed that his 11 fellow councillors, who became
\nmembers of a team investigating alleged corruption in the firm,
\nalso received similar amounts of money.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan faction chairman Agung Imam Sumanto, who
\ndistributed the money, claimed that the funds were from party
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
As of today, the team's recommendation, which confirmed the
\nallegation of corruption in the firm, until now, has never been
\nfollowed up by legal measures.<\/p>\n
Critics believe that the abuse was carried out through
\ncollusion between city administration officials, councillors and
\nprivate parties.<\/p>\n
It seems that officials are currently \"afraid\" of councillors
\nas a result of the reform movement, which forced the downfall of
\nformer president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the councillors have not displayed skills or
\nmoral integrity, believed to be a consequence of hasty and poor
\nselection of candidates for the 1999 general election.<\/p>\n
The indirect electoral system, in which the fate of a governor
\nis determined by the council's 85 councillors, is believed to
\nhave been the trigger for money politics.<\/p>\n
Direct elections would reduce the likelihood of money
\npolitics: It would be impossible for gubernatorial candidates to
\nbuy millions of votes of Jakarta residents. The elected governor
\nneed not be too scared of the councillors since he or she would
\nnot be responsible to them but to the people.<\/p>\n
The state Constitution has been amended and now stipulates a
\ndirect presidential election. Law 22\/1999 on regional autonomy
\nand Law 34\/1999 on the Jakarta administration are being reviewed
\nin the House of Representatives to allow the direct gubernatorial
\nelection.<\/p>\n
However, the fact is Sutiyoso has been reelected as governor
\nfor the next five year.<\/p>\n
It is the duty of the public, residents and non-governmental
\norganizations to keep watch over Sutiyoso's administration as we
\ncannot delegate the duty to city councillors with any confidence.<\/p>",
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