Corruption case ruins KPU's image

Corruption case ruins KPU's image

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the walls around the alleged massive corruption in the
General Elections Commission (KPU) starting to crack wider open,
the commission is on the verge of losing the celebrated public
trust it once proudly vaunted.

The results of a recently released investigative audit
conducted by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has revealed
indications of corruption of a fund of over Rp 800.48 billion
(US$84.26 million) the KPU managed during last year's legislative
election, with almost all of its members indicated to have taken
part.

The report itself came quick after the Corruption Eradication
Commission (KPK) said it had found preliminary evidence of
corruption in the KPU, which was the fruit of an investigation
into KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah who was caught trying to bribe
a BPK auditor to influence audit results.

Allegations of corruption had previously been voiced by a
number of non-governmental organizations who claimed to spot
irregularities in the use of trillions of rupiah used by the KPU
to hold consecutive legislative and presidential elections, as
well as the runoff in September last year.

Such findings by the BPK and the KPK have subsequently washed
off, bit by bit, the clean and trustworthy image the KPU has
struggled to uphold over the years.

Many had lashed out at the KPU for failing to meet certain
targets and deadlines for the general elections last year, such
as voter registration, provision and distribution of materials,
as well as the complicated election mechanism.

The KPU was even declared guilty late last year by a court
here in a class action suit for failing to register up to 30
million eligible voters, causing them to lose their right to cast
their vote. The case is currently on appeal.

"It was indeed a shock for me when I heard of the arrest of
Pak Mulyana and the audit results of the BPK. While these are
still allegations, it inevitably has an impact on the public
given the trust the public bestowed upon them," said legislator
Chozin Chumaidy of House Commission II, which works with the KPU.

"They are scholars, activists, academics, whom the public
expects to have the ability to uphold accountability and
idealism. If such people were involved in corruption, who is
there to trust now?" he said, quickly adding that the public
should respect the principle of presumption of innocence.

Commission II chairman Ferry Mursyidan Baldan said the KPU was
facing an ambiguous public trial, and therefore needed to quickly
provide an institutional response and clarification over the
allegations being leveled at them.

"They must quit giving contradictory individual statements,
because that could lead to too much public debate, which is
unnecessary," he said.

However, the two see no reason yet to replace the members, or
for the members to disengage from the commission, because they
had not been proven guilty.

"After all, the KPU has many tasks left. One of them is to
write a comprehensive evaluation of the general elections, which
is very important given that their five-year term expires next
year," said Ferry.

Eleven KPU members were elected in 2001 after screening by
House Commission II. They were Mulyana W. Kusumah, Ramlan
Surbakti, Anas Urbaningrum, Dan Dimara, Rusadi Kantaprawira, Imam
B. Prasodjo, Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, Chusnul Mar'iyah, F.X. Mudji
Sutrisno, Hamid Awaluddin and Valina Singka Subekti.

Imam and Mudji resigned in 2003 due to holding dual positions,
while Hamid was named justice minister. Aside from Mulyana, none
of the remaining members have been declared a suspect.