How costly was your campaign?
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.