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.