Activists urge suspension of election results
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Activists demanded on Sunday the results of the gubernatorial election be suspended following the recent confession by a candidate who admitted paying Rp 200 million (US$22,222) to 40 councillors.
Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post, the activists, lawyer Tubagus H. Karbyanto of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) and Azas Tigor Nainggolan of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta), pushed for the establishment of an independent team to investigate the allegations of money politics.
"Although it (the confession) didn't directly involve (the elected governor Sutiyoso), the process should be stopped because it (allegedly) involved 40 councillors who voted for Sutiyoso," Tigor said.
Tubagus said that if the statement was found to be true the whole election process should be declared illegal.
Both Tubagus and Tigor suggested that the central government set up an independent team consisting of councillors, prosecutors, police and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to investigate the allegations.
Gubernatorial candidate Mahfudz Djaelani announced on Friday that he made the down payments as part of a promised Rp 2 billion payout if the 40 councillors elected him.
Mahfudz revealed the 40 councillors were from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) and the Justice and Unity Party (PBB).
During Wednesday's vote, Mahfudz, paired with Doli Diapary Siregar, secured just three votes while Sutiyoso got 47 votes from the total of 84 councillors who cast their ballots.
Other gubernatorial candidates who took part in the election were Edy Waluyo, Marzuki Usman, Tarmidi Suhardjo, Endang Darmawan and Ahmad Heriyawan.
"I want my money back or I will publicize the names of the councillors," Mahfudz, a travel agency businessman, told a press conference.
According to the election's rules, the public is given three days to file their complaints. It was unclear whether Mahfudz would officially submit his complaint.
Tubagus believed that Mahfudz's statement indicated the involvement of Sutiyoso in money politics.
"The councillors shifted the votes to Sutiyoso, probably, because they received more money from him," he said.
He urged the police to question Mahfudz and the councillors for alleged bribery.
However, Tigor urged the police to appreciate and protect Mahfudz for his willingness to reveal the bribery.
"We should protect him from accusations of defamation," he said.
Both activists suggested the central government, through the ministry of home affairs, appoint a gubernatorial caretaker to lead the city and to prepare for direct gubernatorial elections.
The fourth Amendment to the Constitution recently approved direct elections for the president, members of the House of Representatives and the Regional Representatives Council. It implicitly suggested that the governor should be directly elected.
The House is currently deliberating the revision of the Law 22/1999 on regional autonomy which will stipulate direct elections for governors, mayors and regents.