Flaws in draft electoral law sustain rampant corruption

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Activists slammed the government and the House of Representatives on Tuesday for their failure to set clear-cut and thorough rules on contributions for political party campaigns, which they claimed to have helped sustain rampant corruption practices.

The secretary-general of Transparency International-Indonesia, Emmy Hafild, expressed her disappointment over the lack of thorough regulations on campaign funding in the general election bill.

"With such broad regulations on campaign funding in the election bill, we can't expect a gradual decrease in corruption practices in the country," Emmy told a discussion here.

The election bill is currently being deliberated in the House of Representatives (DPR) by legislators and representatives of government, especially those from the home ministry. The election bill, along with bills on political parties and on the composition of legislative bodies, is expected to serve as the legal basis for fair and transparent general elections in 2004.

The bill stipulates that private and institutional donations for political party campaigns must not exceed Rp 50 million and Rp 500 million, respectively. However, the election bill does not clearly define the term "campaign fund", the absence of which may prompt manipulative and corrupt practices.

Speaking at the same discussion, Smita Notosusanto of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) hoped that lawmakers and the government would provide a clear definition of "campaign fund" to prevent corruption.

Meanwhile, Adhi Aman of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) suggested that the election bill incorporate rules and limitations on sources of funding, as well as on the allocation and distribution of funds for campaign activities.

The bill, he said, should also require political parties to establish an account for the campaign fund separate from the party account, in order to control and keep track of expenditures.

"All expenditures for political campaigns should be taken from the campaign account," Adhi said.

In addition to the campaign fund, the election bill also failed to include articles on other important issues, such as on the use of state funds by officials during the campaign, the format of financial reports from political parties and further, the maximum amount of contributions to political parties. The latter issue, however, may be included in the bill on political parties.

Emmy Hafild noted that comprehensive regulations on political contributions were badly needed to reduce corruption practices as well as to create fairness among the various political parties, whether they be opposition or ruling, rich or poor, or small or big parties.

Also in regards the political parties bill, Smita said that the government may continue to provide assistance to political parties, but monetary assistance should not be provided so as to discourage corruption.

Instead, Smita said the government could provide assistance in the form of free services and facilities, such as free postal services, free campaign programs on state television stations and the provision of state financial auditors for auditing political parties' books.

"If government subsidies are given in the form of services and facilities, I think corruption would be reduced significantly," Smita said.