'Bribery invalidates the election'

'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