KPK's Solutions to Prevent Regional Heads from Recurring Corruption

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed a number of solutions that can be implemented to minimise acts of corruption committed by regional heads. It is known that since the beginning of the year up to July, at least 10 regional heads have been caught in KPK sting operations (OTT). One solution is for the KPK to continue pushing for improvements to the political financing system to reduce high campaign costs that potentially trigger corrupt practices. KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo stated that one proposed measure is to enlarge the state’s role in campaign financing, particularly through the provision of campaign props (APK) for election participants. From the KPK’s perspective, Budi continued, such support can help reduce the cost burden that candidates must bear. “Besides creating fairer competition, this policy is also expected to reduce election participants’ dependence on funding sources that risk creating conflicts of interest,” Budi said in a written statement on Saturday (18/7). Furthermore, the KPK is also encouraging a transformation of campaign models to become simpler and more efficient. The mass rally model, which requires large costs, needs to be reviewed and replaced with more effective methods, such as the use of digital media and social media. In this way, political competition is expected to no longer be dominated by capital strength, but rather by the quality of ideas, work programmes, and the integrity of the candidates. Additionally, the KPK stressed the importance of strengthening the transparency of political funding. To suppress the practice of money politics, the KPK supports the ratification of the Bill on the Limitation of Cash Transactions (PTUK) and increased supervision of political fund flows. “The KPK encourages various improvement measures, such as reducing campaign costs, strengthening the transparency of political funding sources, limiting cash transactions, and promoting a simpler, idea-focused campaign model,” Budi stated. Previously, Budi mentioned that the large number of regional heads caught in sting operations illustrates that the problem and risk of corruption in regional governments remains complex and requires more serious and comprehensive handling. He said corruption is not born from a single factor but is influenced by various aspects, both related to individual integrity and systemic weaknesses that open opportunities for irregularities. In several cases, the KPK found a link between political funding support and efforts to obtain benefits after a candidate is elected. Budi said these findings align with the results of a corruption prevention study on election implementation conducted by the KPK’s Monitoring Directorate. The study shows that high campaign and political costs are one of the fundamental issues requiring serious attention. According to him, this condition is a risk factor that can encourage corrupt practices, both before and after a person is elected as a public official. High campaign costs create economic-political pressure for election participants. When candidates must spend large amounts of money to gain political support, run campaigns, and secure voters’ votes, a tendency emerges to seek non-transparent funding sources that risk originating from corrupt practices. “KPK findings show that the high cost of winning elections drives candidates to commit corrupt acts both before and after taking office,” Budi said. The study also revealed that the current campaign system opens up space for political cost waste, where campaign implementation still relies on installing large numbers of props, mass rallies, mass mobilisation, and various forms of high-cost campaigning that make political competition increasingly expensive. Moreover, the KPK study also highlighted the use of large amounts of cash, which is vulnerable to being used for money politics practices. Budi said the use of cash, which is difficult to trace, opens space for the entry of proceeds of crime into the political process, whether for buying political support, voter mobilisation, or other winning activities. This situation not only damages electoral integrity but also becomes a gateway to wider corruption. From a corruption prevention perspective, the KPK sees that high political investment during the campaign period potentially creates an urge to recover the costs incurred after a candidate occupies public office. This risk can manifest in the form of abuse of authority, project manipulation, trading in positions, and other corrupt practices that ultimately harm the public interest.