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.