KPK Proposes Political Parties Must Report Political Education Funding
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has proposed that political parties be required to report political education activities funded from the state revenue and expenditure budget (APBN).
A study by the KPK’s Directorate of Monitoring identified at least four issues in political party governance. First, there is no roadmap for implementing political education. Second, there is no integrated cadre system standard. Third, there is no political party financial reporting system. “Fourth, the KPK found that the oversight body in the Political Parties Law is unclear,” as quoted from the Appendix to the KPK’s 2025 Annual Report on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
Therefore, one recommendation from this anti-corruption agency is to revise Law No. 2 of 2011 on Political Parties, supplemented by adding a clause to Article 34 regarding the obligation to report political education activities, including activities, participants, objectives, and outputs conducted by political parties funded by government financial assistance.
In the period from 2025 to the present, the KPK has covertly investigated 11 regional heads with various corruption methods, from position bribes to extortion. In several cases, the KPK sees a strong intersection with the high political costs that must be borne, opening loopholes for corrupt practices.
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo stated that this phenomenon serves as a reminder that corruption eradication efforts do not solely rely on enforcement. Eradication requires a strong overall system, particularly ensuring the integrity and accountability of the political process, to suppress potential deviations from the outset.
“Integrity and accountability in the conduct of general elections and regional head elections are the main keys to preventing such practices from recurring,” Budi said in Jakarta on Friday, 17 April 2026, as quoted from a written statement on the official KPK website.
The results of the KPK Directorate of Monitoring’s study on election implementation show the magnitude of political costs that risk creating pressure in the political ecosystem. It is known that the cost of simultaneous general elections exceeded Rp 71 trillion, while the funds for the 2024 simultaneous regional head elections are estimated to reach Rp 42.5 trillion.
“This condition is intertwined with vulnerability points, starting from the nomination stage with political dowries, non-transparent support transactions, unaccountable campaign funding, to potential funds entering from interested parties,” Budi said.
In addition, other vulnerabilities emerge in the process, such as election logistics procurement that is prone to manipulation, money politics practices both vote buying at the voter level and transactions at the elite level, to abuse of power involving bureaucracy and state facilities. Corruption risks also do not stop even after politicians are elected. Because after the election process is completed, practices of returning favours often emerge through position filling, project arrangements, or permits as a form of political cost reimbursement.
Nevertheless, Budi assessed that not all criminal acts of corruption by regional heads are directly triggered by the high cost of politics. Some of the 11 regional heads who have been named suspects are suspected of committing corruption from position bribes, deviations in regional project goods and services procurement (PBJ), to extortion.
“In several cases, the motives are also related to personal interests, including to meet needs such as holiday allowances (THR),” Budi said.