How costly was your campaign?
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
On the opening day of the 22-day campaign period, a legislator disclosed that he had spent Rp 75 million in one day to buy the flags and symbols of his party for strategic display in the city, as well as free T-shirts for supporters.
As a party member, the source, who declined to be identified, said that he had been obliged to do so, to show his commitment to the leader of his party which kicked off the campaign season.
One candidate from the National Mandate Party (PAN), Djoko Susilo, said that more money had been spent this year on door-to- door campaigning. Djoko, who sits on Commission I in charge of governmental affairs, is contesting again for his party, for the Surabaya and Sidoarjo electoral districts of East Java.
Some other legislators had to spend additional money to hire dangdut singers to attract people to their rallies.
Another legislator acknowledged that he "only" spent Rp 300 million for the whole three-week campaign period. "Compared to the spending of other candidates, mine is of a very small scale," Golkar candidate Baharuddin Aritonang told The Jakarta Post.
He added that the money was spent on purchasing T-shirts, calendars and pamphlets.
The public is quick to question why the legislators, some of them also candidates for another term, are so willing to fork out campaign funds. Can they expect fame and fortune from a seat in the House of Representatives?
A legislator who had served in the House (DPR) for the past four years acknowledged that several of his colleagues used their positions for personal gain.
However, he said, some argued that they were merely seeking some of the money that they had spent on campaigning back, now that they were in office.
The monthly salary of Rp 15 million for House members has been deemed insufficient by many legislators.
Serving on one of the Houses's special committees, which deliberate bills and investigate designated affairs of state is one way of generating extra income. A legislator gets Rp 5 million for joining such a committee.
High attendance at the House would also mean more income for legislators. Their attendance is worth Rp 150,000 to Rp 300,000 per meeting. Thus far, though, the emphasis has been on the attendance record, or the legislators' signatures rather than their actual attendance. This has been indicated by the many instances of largely empty rooms in the House during several deliberations on bills.
Those whom the legislators represent are not convinced that claims, such as "recouping costs for past campaigns", are not just excuses for sheer greed. The controversy over the sale of state assets under the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) highlighted, among other things, the role of legislators as "brokers" who were in the favorable position of gaining first-hand information on the sales, for which they received fees amounting to "billions of rupiah," a source in the House said.
Legal expert Sri Soemantri said that legislators should understand that deliberating laws and legislations is their duty. "They get paid to discuss those laws. They must not abuse their position for personal gain," he told the Post.
Djoko from PAN denied suggestions that he would seek to recoup costs should he be elected for another term.
"I am not a trader. For me, becoming a legislator is about serving the people. Therefore, legislators must be ready to sacrifice what they have," he added.