Two councillors admit bribery in election<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Ten days after councillors of the Democratic Party faction
\nstrongly denied allegations of money politics in the election for
\ncouncil speaker, two of them reportedly handed over the money
\nthey had received to vote for Golkar Party's Ade Surapriatna.<\/p>\n
\"They gave the money to the party ... But, of course, that
\nshould not mean they can elude sanctions, including the legal
\nconsequences it may entail,\" the party's Jakarta branch head
\nHusein Abdul Azis told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Husein reiterated that his party would stick to recommending
\ndissident members be recalled. \"We will also follow it up with
\ndismissing them from the party.\"<\/p>\n
Husein was one among a seven-member team tasked with
\ninvestigating the case involving 16 of their council members. The
\nteam is still investigating the possible involvement of other
\nparty members in the case.<\/p>\n
Another source with the team, who asked to remain anonymous,
\nrevealed that the two members, identified as ES and RT, had
\nreceived more than Rp 100 million (US$10,869) each in the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Previously, the party revealed that eight councillors might
\nhave been involved in the incident, which led to the defeat of
\nAhmad Heryawan, the candidate of the largest faction, the
\nProsperous Justice Party (PKS).<\/p>\n
All Democratic Party faction members had signed an agreement
\nto vote for Heryawan in exchange for PKS' support for the party's
\nleader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in the presidential runoff.<\/p>\n
Ade Surapriatna denied involvement in money politics. \"I did
\nnot give any money (to the councillors). I did not even try to
\nlobby councillors of PKS and Democratic Party factions.\"<\/p>\n
Ade also insisted that any allegations of money politics in
\nthe election had to be proven by the legal authorities.<\/p>\n
In protest over the result of the election, Dani Anwar of PKS,
\nwho is the council's acting speaker, had yet to sign the
\ndeclaration of the election result. Acting deputy speaker Johny
\nWenas Polii of the Democratic Party signed it.<\/p>\n
\"The declaration should be signed by both the acting speaker
\nand the deputy speaker on the day the result of the election
\ncomes out. But, since Pak Dani has not signed it, we could not
\nsend it to the Ministry for Home Affairs,\" said council secretary
\nSalehuddin Effendi.<\/p>\n
The secretary has received a circular from the ministry to
\nimmediately send the declaration to legalize the installment of
\nthe new speaker and deputies.<\/p>\n
The new speaker and deputies will be installed in the first
\nweek of October.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-councillors-admit-bribery-in-election-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}