Analyst warns of more money politics as election nears
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta
Vote buying is likely to intensify in the presidential election run-off scheduled for Sept. 20 as there will be nothing left to offer to attract support, a political analyst has warned.
Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia (UI) said all five of the presidential candidates might have promised positions or money in exchange for support in the July 5 poll.
"Since the positions will have all been traded before the July 5 poll, the candidates that contest the run-off will offer money," Arbi told a discussion here on Friday.
He said, however, the practice would only hamper the country's attempts to achieve genuine democracy.
Arbi said he believed positions in the Cabinet and the bureaucracy had been traded among leaders of political parties as part of their deal to forge a coalition, while money had been given to the public in return for votes.
During the presidential election campaign, some people acknowledged they attended a rally for money.
Fellow analyst Syamsuddin Haris from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said, meanwhile, the presidential campaign, which had been going on for three weeks, was no different to the legislative campaign in March.
According to Syamsuddin, the presidential candidates offered only promises without explaining how to achieve them.
The five candidates to contest the poll are Wiranto of the Golkar Party, Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party and Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party (PPP).
At different rallies the presidential candidates have made similar promises, Syamsuddin said.
"There have been many promises during the campaign, but no one has managed to explain how to make their words come true," Syamsuddin said.
Taking an example, Syamsuddin said all presidential candidates boasted they would fight corruption.
The candidates, however, did not elaborate measures to eradicate the crime.
Syamsuddin said the eradication of corruption would simply remain a promise if the elected president were reluctant to reshuffle the National Police, the Attorney General's Office and the judiciary.
"They all protect big corrupters," he said.
Arbi added the next president would have to solve the problems the nation was currently facing, otherwise people would cease to support him or her.
He claimed that none of the five presidential candidates had the capability, integrity or competence to lead the nation out of the multidimensional crisis.
"One could say 'I will not exercise my right to vote because I do not trust them.' Politics is a matter of trust," he said.
Despite his reservations, Syamsuddin said he would exercise his constitutional right to show his responsibility as a citizen.
"I shall vote for the candidate who has the fewest weaknesses," he said.