Parties dismiss list of 'crooked politicians'

Parties dismiss list of 'crooked politicians'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The publication of the list of roguish politicians would not have
an impact on political party performance in the upcoming general
elections, some leaders of political parties asserted on Sunday.

They also said that the publication was sensationalized and
subjective, and people should question the credibility.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post, deputy chairman of the National
Mandate Party (PAN) Abdillah Toha acknowledged that some (five)
PAN legislators had been included on the original list of 61, but
he argued that it would not affect PAN's image.

The PAN legislators were included on the list, along with
other House members from other parties, because they refused to
admit that there were violations of human rights in the Trisakti
and Semanggi shooting incidents in 1998 and 1999, which claimed
the lives of several students.

"The work of the House of Representatives is a collective
work, so I don't think that the publication of crooked
politicians will severely affect my party," said Abdillah.

Roy B.B. Janis, a key leader of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with 13 of the 61 crooks, called the
publication sensationalized and baseless.

"The NGO activists are merely trying to seek popularity. The
public is already mature and they will not believe such a list,"
he claimed Roy.

The two party leaders were commenting on the list, published
on Saturday by a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
calling themselves "the National Movement Against Crooked
Politicians".

It was the first in a series of three, with the next two
expected to appear later this week. The first list has the names
of 61 DPR legislators and DPD (Regional Representatives Council)
candidates who are running in the April 5 legislative election
along with their respective parties, election areas and brief
descriptions of their questionable records.

Most of the names, 18, came from the Golkar Party, followed by
PDI-P with 13, the United Development Party (PPP) with 10; while
the Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) and PAN have
five each.

The remaining are from the National Awakening Party (PKB), the
Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS),
the Pioneers' Party and another one who is running for Jakarta's
DPD.

Slamet Effendy Yusuf, a legislator and leader of Golkar,
warned that the group of NGOs had to be "careful" about including
the names of people on the list.

He said that his 18 colleagues were included on the list, only
because they fought for a political stance that may not be
popular.

"This is not fair. The group has to be careful, otherwise, the
inclusion of those names can be considered character
assassination," he said, while pointing out the example of the
Trisakti and Semanggi massacres.

A legislator whose name was included on the list said, "I
think the people know my track record. It is unfair to put me on
the list just because I have different opinion of what
constitutes a human rights violation."

Separately, a political observer Ikrar Nusa Bakti of the
Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) welcomed the list, saying
that the information would be useful for the public, especially
would-be voters.

"Most of them have never heard about these candidates, let
alone their track records," Ikrar commented.