Rectifying campaign wrongs<\/p>\n
It is certainly good to learn the Election Supervisory
\nCommittee (Panwaslu) is honoring its promise to investigate
\nreports of dubious donations to the campaigns of presidential
\ncandidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nwho will be contesting next month's runoff.<\/p>\n
Following up on the findings of two corruption watchdogs,
\nIndonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and Transparency International
\n(TI) Indonesia, the committee's office in Semarang, Central Java,
\nwas yesterday reported to have verified one case in which three
\nrelated companies donated Rp 750 million (US$83,333) each to the
\nMegawati campaign. All three companies are reportedly owned,
\neither wholly or in part, by the same businessperson.<\/p>\n
The question, of course, is whether this constitutes a
\ncriminal violation of Law No. 23\/2003, which prohibits candidates
\nfrom accepting donations from sources with obscure identities.<\/p>\n
Also forbidden are donations from foreign sources or
\ninstitutions, or from the government or government-related
\nsources. Furthermore, the law sets limits on the amounts of money
\nthat presidential candidates are allowed to accept, the ceiling
\nbeing Rp 100 million for an individual donation and Rp 750
\nmillion for donations from private companies.<\/p>\n
The law also requires that candidates report all questionable
\ndonations to the General Elections Commission (KPU) within 14
\ndays after the end of the campaign period, and that they turn
\nover the money to the state treasury.<\/p>\n
The one mitigating factor in the report by the Panwaslu office
\nin Semarang is that the three companies are not fictitious, as
\nthe ICW-TI findings suggested. Presumably, it is now up to the
\nKPU and the relevant law enforcement authorities to determine
\nwhether a violation of the law has occurred and what further
\naction must be taken, if any. In any case, Panwaslu has performed
\nits job as it is supposed to, at least in this particular
\ninstance.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the Semarang case is not an isolated one. Many
\ninstances of obscure or unidentifiable campaign donors have
\nrecently been uncovered and reported by the media, raising
\nquestions about the integrity and trustworthiness of both
\npresidential candidates.<\/p>\n
For example, the ICW said it had found no fewer than 17
\nindividual and 13 corporate donors to the Megawati campaign who
\nit considered dubious, for reasons ranging from unverifiable
\ndomicile to questionable financial standing.<\/p>\n
In the campaign of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the ICW said it
\nhad found two individual and 13 corporate donors it considered
\ndubious for the same reasons. As could be expected, the campaign
\nteams of both candidates have sought to refute all of the
\nallegations, offering explanations for the questionable funds.<\/p>\n
A prominent member of the General Elections Commission,
\nMulyana W. Kusumah, has asked anyone, individuals or
\norganizations, to come forward with verifiable evidence of
\ncampaign fraud so the case can be brought to the police.<\/p>\n
One relevant question that is easier to ask than to answer,
\nhowever, is what penalty can realistically be imposed on those
\nwho break the election law? Law No. 23\/2003 does threaten
\nviolators with penalties such as disqualification from the
\nelection. But what if both Megawati and Susilo were found guilty
\nof having violated the law?<\/p>\n
Surely, one can see the difficulties that would face the KPU
\nif it took a firm stand. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons the
\ncommission has maintained that the donations both presidential
\ncandidates have so far received have been properly audited and
\nfound to be satisfactory. Perhaps, too, that is true.<\/p>\n
In the end, however, when all has been said and done, it is up
\nto the public to see to it that effective control is exerted not
\nonly over the president and vice president-elect, but also over
\nthe legislative bodies, the judiciary and the rest of the state
\napparatus in whose hands the well-being of the populace rests.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rectifying-campaign-wrongs-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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