'Bribery invalidates the election'

People are now demanding that the recent gubernatorial election be annulled following the admission by gubernatorial candidate Mahfudz Djailani that he had paid a bribe of Rp 200 million to 40 councillors.

Dirman, 36, is a fruit trader on Jl. Tebet Raya, South Jakarta, and the father of two children. He has been living here for three years. He was born in Yogyakarta.

I think the election should be annulled as one of the candidates has admitted to bribing the councillors. I believe it was not only Mahfudz who did that. Winner of the election Governor Sutiyoso must also have been involved in money politics.

How can we accept the result of the election if it was carried out by councillors who received bribes? How we can trust the result of an election in which immoral representatives cast their votes?

We should reject the result. How can we allow people involved in money politics to lead the city?

I often followed the election process on television and in newspapers. I feel I knew the candidates, including Sutiyoso and Mahfudz. I think the results are shameful.

Agus, 24, is a street trader and resident of Jl. Sahardjo, South Jakarta. He was born here.

I'm just a small trader. I don't really care about the candidates and the winner of the gubernatorial election. I just wish we had a governor who would help the poor.

But I know from television that the election was marked by bribery. I just wonder how they can they lead the city, having behaved this way.

If the governor bribed some councillors, he must have reckoned that in the future he could appropriate city funds to get his money back.

I believe such a governor would not think about the public as he'd be preoccupied by all that money.

Imron, 54, is father to four children. He has been living in West Jakarta for 30 years. He works at a private company.

The police should investigate both the candidates and councillors on the bribery allegations. Although it won't be easy, the police could start with Mahfudz's admission.

If it were found to be true, the whole election process should be annulled. Forty councillors reportedly received money from Mahfudz. Some of them must have elected Sutiyoso. So Sutiyoso's victory was unlawful, at least from a moral point of view.

I believe it was not just Mahfudz. Other candidates also did the same. In all likelihood, different sums of money were involved.

So, I suggest the election should be rerun from the beginning, with an adjustment to the rules to avoid money politics subverting the process again.

I prefer that the gubernatorial election be a direct one (by the public) to avoid any possibility of money politics corrupting the process.

-- Ahmad Junaidi