PDI-P whines about lack of campaign funds<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Less money from the disappointed business community and a lack of
\ndonations by aspiring legislators were to blame for the shortage
\nof campaign finances for the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P), party officials admitted.<\/p>\n
Noviantika Nasution said on Wednesday that the party must now
\nbe very careful in spending its limited budget.<\/p>\n
"People think we are loaded ... Our funding is not as much as
\nwe expected," she remarked.<\/p>\n
She claimed that it was logical that the business community
\nhad spread their funds among all candidates as each had a "more
\nor less equal chance" in the presidential election.<\/p>\n
"Business people always side with those with better chances of
\nwinning, but the past results in the (April) legislative election
\nshows that no party won a clear majority. That's why funds from
\nthe business community are spread equally among the candidates,"
\nNoviantika suggested.<\/p>\n
They expected to raise Rp 100 billion in donations to finance
\nthe one-month campaign period to July 1, but Noviantika said the
\nparty only had about half that amount.<\/p>\n
PDI-P secretary-general Soetjipto also said that the party had
\nto rely on its own sources from executive board members and
\nregional branches for campaign financing.<\/p>\n
"But that, of course, cannot cover all the costs. That's why
\nthe ongoing campaign period is not as extravagant as the
\nlegislative campaign," he explained.<\/p>\n
All the legislative candidates had to put cash in to support
\ntheir campaign, which in PDI-P's case meant funds from 16,000
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
Now for the presidential election, PDI-P candidate Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri must find other sources to finance their campaign.<\/p>\n
The Golkar Party's candidate, Gen. (ret) Wiranto, held a
\ndinner for entrepreneurs in the capital to raise campaign funds.<\/p>\n
Another candidate, Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also
\nheld a similar event to gather funds on the resort island of
\nBali.<\/p>\n
Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) has opened a
\npublic account for people who want to contribute.<\/p>\n
A source at PDI-P complained about the lack of funds and
\nexplained that many in the business community no longer supported
\nthe party because of the poor results in the legislative
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Megawati's party did get the second largest number of votes,
\nslightly behind Golkar, but only 19 percent of the total, a huge
\ndrop from 1999 when they got 34 percent, the most of any party.<\/p>\n
"We will only be able to get monetary support if we manage to
\nmake it to the second round of the presidential election (in
\nSeptember)," the source said.<\/p>\n
The top two of the five candidates will battle it out in
\nSeptember if none wins over 50 percent on July 5. Megawati is
\nsitting in third place according to one poll and in a virtual
\ntie for second according to another, trailing Susilo by over 30
\npoints in both.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-p-whines-about-lack-of-campaign-funds-1447893297",
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