How rich are your favorite candidates?

How rich are your favorite candidates?

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

All presidential and vice presidential candidates have made a
report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) declaring
their wealth and assets, but in varying degrees of transparency.

Democratic Party vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla
topped the list with a total of Rp 122.6 billion (US$13.3
million), with National Mandate Party (PAN) presidential
candidate Amien Rais the "poorest" with Rp 867.9 million and
$13,700.

But Transparency International Indonesia (TII) expressed its
dissatisfaction with the declarations.

TII chairman Todung Mulya Lubis said he very much doubted that
the presidential and vice presidential hopefuls had declared
their current assets, so that "the KPK should ask them to update
their declarations."

"Each candidate has to publicly declare his or her wealth as
of the time when they register with the General Elections
Commission (KPU)," Todung told a press conference after meeting
with KPK leaders.

The KPK list revealed that businessman-turned-minister Kalla
and his running mate submitted their wealth reports before they
assumed their ministerial post and after relinquishing their post
under President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration.

Megawati, the presidential candidate under the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle, submitted only her 2001 wealth
report, as did Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar who were nominated by
the United Development Party and Amien's running mate Siswono
Yudohusodo, a businessman and former minister.

Megawati's running mate Hasyim Muzadi and Golkar Party
candidates Wiranto and Salahuddin Wahid submitted their 2004
wealth reports.

Wiranto, a former Indonesian Military chief, ranked fourth
behind Megawati, whose husband is a prominent businessman.

KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas said the
commission did not have the latest wealth report on Megawati,
Hamzah and Amien because they had not completed their terms as
president, vice president and speaker of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), respectively.

"They have yet to finish their terms. We only obtain wealth
reports of officials before they begin and after they complete
their tenure as state officials," Erry said.

But he failed to explain why Agum, who resigned as
transportation minister to contest the election, did not submit a
current report on his wealth.

Erry said that all the candidates had submitted the required
documents on their wealth, including their tax file numbers
(NPWP) and copies of their annual tax returns (SPT).

But he said the commission could not guarantee the validity of
the reports and therefore asked people to scrutinize them.

"We rely on the candidates' honesty in filing in the reports,
we have not examined them," said Erry.

He said that the commission did not require all candidates to
submit a current wealth report based on the presidential election
law.

Article 5 (6) of Law No. 23/2003 on the presidential election
only says that each presidential and vice presidential candidate
has to submit a report of their wealth and assets to the
institution authorized to examine civil servants' wealth reports.

"We do not examine the validity of the wealth reports,
particularly those who have never reported their wealth to the
KPKPN. But we have checked the reports of the candidates who have
previously declared their wealth." he said.

The now-defunct Civil Servants Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN)
required all state officials in the executive, legislative and
judicial branches of government to declare their wealth in 2001.

Erry said the KPK would only examine the wealth reports of the
president and vice president when they are elected and after they
complete their tenure.