Bribery cases divulged in the run up to 2004 poll

Bribery cases divulged in the run up to 2004 poll

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandar Lampung

A number of political party representatives as well as
election commission members have revealed the acceptance of
bribes by the regional and municipal election commissions.

However, the party representatives said they had not reported
the requests for money, possibly amounting to some tens of
millions of rupiah, to the regional election supervisory
committee (Panwas) due to fears that their parties would be
excluded from the election.

Of the 39 parties that registered to contest next year's
election, nine failed to pass the verification process. One of
the main reasons given was that they did not have a
representative office in the particular region that they were
applying for.

M. Iqbal, a treasurer for the Lampung chapter of the National
Concern Party (PKPB) said on Friday that his party had to pay Rp
10 million to the provincial election commission (KPU) to pass
the verification.

"But if we reported this to Panwas, we would not be able to
provide concrete evidence because the KPU people refused to give
receipts," Iqbal said. "Some parties give the money voluntarily
to KPU members so they can pass," he added. His party was among
those which passed verification.

A member of the municipal KPU, Ridwan Saifuddin, said,
"Representatives from seven parties approached me about getting
their parties passed through the verification stage. All promised
money and other benefits. I refused, but some of my colleagues
(KPU members) took bribes."

He added that the "lobbying" were usually done before the
breaking of the fast during the recently ended Ramadhan, because
that was considered a time when people might be open to
negotiations.

Other forms of corruption have also been reported in the
process of verifying individual candidates for the regional
representative council (DPD). At least one prospective candidate
said that the corruption occurred on each level starting with the
district election committee (PPK). The source, requesting
anonymity, said DPD members would pressure candidates into paying
bribes, especially those whose documents were deemed to be
incomplete, or those with supporter identity cards that had
expired.

"Many villagers don't have proper ID or their ID cards have
expired. If this is discovered, the support for them will be
revoked," the source said. "At this stage the PPK member will
offer his 'service' in return for money, so that the candidate
can pass the verification despite his incomplete or expired
documents."

Another DPD candidate, Ahmad Yulden Erwin, acknowledged that
PPK and KPU members at the regency level, said that out of 3,500
copies of IDs of his supporters -- one of the requirements --
about 100 were likely invalid.

However, he was told that more than 1,000 were invalid. "Then
a number of PPK and KPU members offered their 'services' to me,"
Erwin said.

A member of the provincial Lampung KPU, Edwin Hanibal, denied
that anyone his division in charge of verifying political parties
had received any money.

"Anyone with witnesses and evidence can report it, and we will
certainly follow up on the report," Edwin said.

A number of political party executives had approached KPU
members to get their parties verified, "But we declined to
respond," Edwin said, apparently referring to those wanting a
shortcut instead of compiling the necessary documents.

Deputy chairman of the provincial election supervision body,
Firman Seponada, said there had been a number of suspected cases
of bribes involving KPU members. "However, no evidence had been
given to us," he said, adding that their investigations would
continue nonetheless.

"We'll take firm measures against any KPU or PPK member proved
to be involved in bribes; this is a serious matter which must be
immediately cleared up by the KPU," Firman said.

If the allegations are true, "KPU would become the biggest
contributor to the failure of the elections," he added.

The nine political parties which failed to contest the
elections next year in Lampung include the Indonesian Workers'
Congress Pary (PKPI), the Party of the Indonesian Motherland
(PITA), the Krisna Dei Party (Partai Krisna Dei), and the
Indonesian Unity in Diversity Party (PBI). Others are the Party
of the Unitary Indonesian Republic (PKRI), the Reform Party
(Partai Reformasi), the Marhaen National Party (PNMJ), the Mutual
Help Party (Partai Gotong Royong) and the Freedom Party (Partai
Merdeka).