Candidates choose not to reveal their donors
Candidates choose not to reveal their donors
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta
All presidential candidates have submitted bank accounts to the General Elections Commission (KPU) but none of them have revealed their lists of campaign donors, the commission said on Tuesday.
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said all had missed the May 31 deadline for submitting their full financial reports, which must include a list of campaign donors.
Law No. 23/2003 on the presidential election says campaign bank statements must be submitted to the KPU no more than seven days after the candidates are declared eligible to contest the polls. All the candidates were declared eligible on May 22.
The law says all candidates must then submit a full financial report, which includes a list of donors, to the KPU at least one day before the election campaign period begins on June 1. The law, however, does not punish those who do not meet the deadline.
Gen. (ret) Wiranto and running mate Solahuddin Wahid of the Golkar Party met the first May 29 deadline, submitting their bank statement on May 25. The information showed a joint account held by Wiranto and Solahuddin at the Gadjah Mada branch of Bank Central Asia (BCA) with a balance of Rp 3.5 billion.
Later that day Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar of the United Development Party (PPP) submitted their account statement -- Rp 1 billion held at the Ratu Plaza, Bank Mandiri branch.
The rest of the candidates submitted their bank statements four days late on May 31. Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) submitted their account statement -- Rp 2.6 billion held at the Bank Mandiri Imam Bonjol branch, in Central Jakarta.
Information from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla of the Democratic Party showed they had Rp 1.5 billion at Bank Mandiri's Pancoran branch in South Jakarta.
Amien Rais and Siswono Yudhohusodo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) also reported on Monday their account at BCA's Fatmawati branch in South Jakarta had a balance of 1.2 billion.
In the April 5 legislative election, the PDI-P topped the list of campaign funds with a total of Rp 111 billion, followed by Golkar with over Rp 82 billion, the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) with Rp 1.6 billion and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) with more than Rp 500 million.
KPU official Mulyana W. Kusumah called on all candidates to submit their full financial reports but did not say what the commission would do if the candidates ignored the suggestion.
The KPU also revealed that neither Megawati nor Hamzah had submitted their campaign schedules, meaning they had not officially taken leave from their active duties as president and vice president.