Mega blamed for widespread corruption in PDI Perjuangan

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A number of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) legislators accepted on Tuesday that their party had been severely damaged by corruption, and blamed their chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, for lacking the will to stamp it out.

Senior politician Mochtar Buchori said many of the party's members had already forgotten the promises they had made to eradicate corruption when they were elected in 1999.

"They have been blinded by power and abuse it now for their own benefit. We have seen how many party members have suddenly become very rich after only two years in office," Mochtar told The Jakarta Post.

He laid the blame firmly at the doorstep of Megawati, who is also the President, for her reluctance to fight corruption.

"It is not a matter of capability, but rather political will," asserted Mochtar, a former rector of the Jakarta-based Muhammadiyah Teachers Institute.

He was responding to comments by PDI Perjuangan executive Kwik Kian Gie, who said on Monday that his party was the most corrupt the country. Kwik warned that corruption would lead to the routing of the party in the 2004 election.

Another PDI Perjuangan politician, Noviantika Nasution, said corruption involving party members took place without the knowledge of party executives.

"We do not turn a blind eye to corruption in the party, and we have punished all those who have been found guilty," party treasurer Noviantika said.

The PDI Perjuangan dismissed some members last year for engaging in money politics during regental elections.

Noviantika said the party accepted Kwik's statement as well- intended criticism in the run-up to the 2004 election.

The PDI Perjuangan, she said, had repeatedly warned members against succumbing to corruption, but admitted it was difficult to control the problem.

Kwik's remarks comes on the heels of a decline in the public's belief that Megawati is serious about combating endemic corruption.

Megawati came under fire for hampering efforts to dismiss House of Representative Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who was convicted in a graft case. She also appears unperturbed by rumors circulating about the involvement of her husband Taufik Kiemas in questionable business practices.

"From all this, we can judge whether Megawati really wants to fight corruption or not," Mochtar remarked.

According to Mochtar, Kwik had hosted several meetings aimed at helping the party recover and prevent it from falling apart ahead of the election.

"Kwik is trying to seek the best solutions to the problems facing the party," Mochtar explained.

Kwik said he had formed a team of 20 to deal with the corruption inside the party and that Megawati had approved his initiative.