Parties break rules, big money for 'supporters'

Parties break rules, big money for 'supporters'

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

For many young people in Jakarta's kampongs, the 22-day official
campaign period this month is manna from heaven -- free T-shirts
and money.

"Today we are on the Golkar wagon. Yesterday, it was PDI
Perjuangan, and tomorrow we'll be shouting for PAN," ojek
(motorbike taxi) driver Sumino said.

"There's no problem as long as we are paid," he said adding
that he earned Rp 70,000 a day.

Dozens of Sumino's fellow ojek drivers work at the Bumi Pelita
Kencana housing compound in Pondok Cabe, Pamulang, Banten.

Each day now involves carnival-like processions decked out in
the T-shirts of the party he is "supporting" at that particular
instance. Sumino claims he now has more party T-shirts than he
can count. The political parties, Sumino says, pay Rp 30,000 for
every two hours of campaigning on average.

But Sumino is not apolitical. Coming from the Central Java
town of Klaten, his family traditionally supports the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). He said he would
definitely vote for the PDI-Perjuangan in the April 5 legislative
election.

The political parties are employing different ways to woo
voters, including directly paying cash and handing out food
parcels to voters, even though this is totally against the law.

Parties that have engaged in such practices include those that
are currently campaigning on the basis of clean governance, a war
against corruption and honest legislative candidates. Activities
by parties such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) which
include selling staple food for low prices, may still raise
eyebrows.

Article 77 of Law No. 12/2003 bars candidates from offering
"money or other forms of material" in an attempt to secure votes.
Besides the disqualification of candidates, violations of the law
also carry a maximum sentence of 12 months and a maximum fine of
Rp 10 million (US$1,176). But so far, not one party has been
brought to book.

All have denied engaging in money politics, arguing that they
are only trying to maintain their supporters' loyalty and
influence the "swing vote".

Jacob Tobing, a strategist for the PDI Perjuangan, which is
led by Megawati Soekarnoputri, the current president, said it was
only natural to "compensate" people for attending rallies.

"Of course, the voters are paid without any obligation to cast
their votes for the PDI Perjuangan," he said.

The Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has warned a
number of parties, including the PDI Perjuangan and Golkar,
against vote-buying.