DPD candidates accused of fraud

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

A poll official here divulged on Saturday that all 50 of North Sumatra's candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) had cheated in their candidacy application by attaching photocopies of identity cards of people unknown to them in order to meet the minimum requirement of having 4,000 supporters.

The scandal followed similar scandals in other provinces across Indonesia, including East Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara, which has given a wake-up call for the General Elections Commission (KPU) to be alert to such practices.

The scandal in North Sumatra was discovered in the recent verification process for DPD candidates held by the North Sumatra General Elections Commission (KPUD), according to Irham Buana Nasution, the KPUD chairman of the North Sumatra chapter.

Irham said that candidates were found to have used various tricks to deceive the poll commission in their registration documents.

He went on to say that some of the DPD candidates attached identity cards belonging to people who were deceased in their application documents, or they simply used copies of identity cards without the approval of the person.

The DPD candidates enrolled the assistance of photocopy shops, which photocopy the identity cards of their customers. Without the consent of those customers, the shops gave photocopies of their identity cards to the DPD candidates, who in turn attached them to their registration documents.

However, the ruse was discovered by the KPUD after checking out the "supporters" of the DPD candidates.

After cross checking with people whose photocopied identity cards were attached to the DPD candidates's registration documents, the KPUD found that the candidates had acquired them under false pretenses.

Arfan M. Situmorang, a resident from Asahan regency, claimed that his identity card was used by DPD candidate Yopie S. Batubara, the chairman the North Sumatra Chamber of Commerce, without his knowledge.

Arfan was adamant that he did not support Yopie's candidacy. "I don't know him. How could I support him?," Arfan was quoted as saying.

Yopie denied that he gained copies of ID cards of people without their knowledge, including Arfan.

"That is not true. The statement is only aimed at sensationalizing the issue," he told The Jakarta Post by phone.

Each DPD candidate in North Sumatra province, home to 11 million residents, needs to attach at least 4,000 photocopied identity cards to their registration documents, in order to be eligible as a candidate.

Despite the deception, Irham said that the DPD candidates were still eligible to participate in the DPD election.

"So long as they are not proven guilty in court, they can still participate in the DPD election," he said.

But, the candidates had to replace the identity cards they had gained without consent with the ID cards of real supporters, before they proceeded further with the DPD candidacy.

"It is not too late to correct it, because the DPD candidacy will close at the end of November," he said. The final DPD candidates will be announced nationwide on Dec. 9.

Susilo Sakeh, the chairman of the Election Supervisory Committee of North Sumatra (Panwaslu), said that Panwaslu was ready to hand over the evidence to the police for further investigation.

Each province is allocated four seats at the DPD, to represent the province at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).