Parties reluctant to submit reports on campaign funding
Parties reluctant to submit reports on campaign funding
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Cirebon/Yogyakarta
Most parties that contested the April 5 legislative election have
not submitted their audited balance sheets of campaign funds over
one week after the July 12 deadline.
The latest General Elections Commission (KPU) data showed that
of the 24 parties that joined the April poll, only seven have
fulfilled the commission's request. They are the Golkar Party,
the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Democratic Party, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Indonesian Unity
Party (PSI), Reform Star Party (PBR) and Prosperous Justice Party
(PKS).
The KPU had moved back the original deadline from July 12, as
stipulated by Law No. 12/2003, to July 17.
The KPU has maintained a lenient stance.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said the commission would wait
until July 27 for the political parties to submit the campaign
fund reports, before it announces the audited reports of the
campaign funds of presidential candidates.
Mulyana said there would be no legal consequences for
political parties that failed to meet the new deadline.
"There will only be moral damages for the parties. However,
the KPU could also recommend that the government withhold
supporting funds for defiant political parties in the future,"
Mulyana said.
He also said the failure to submit the campaign fund reports
would jeopardize their credibility.
KPU data revealed that the PDI-P spent Rp 108 billion
(US$12.13 million) for campaigning out of its Rp 111 billion
fund.
The Golkar Party received Rp 112 billion from individual and
corporate donors and spent Rp 108 billion during its campaign.
The Democratic Party spent Rp 8.9 billion on campaigning,
which was taken from its Rp 9 billion revenue.
Meanwhile in the West Java town of Cirebon, prosecutors
questioned chairman of the municipal elections commission (KPUD)
Muhaimin for his alleged involvement in the illegal sale of over
five million excess ballot papers from the July 5 presidential
election.
Earlier, the Cirebon prosecutor's office summoned the
secretary and treasurer of the KPUD over the allegation.
Speaking after the probe, Muhaimin denied allegations that he
had ordered the sale of the papers, estimated to weigh over 140
tons.
"I indeed issued an instruction to keep the remaining ballot
papers in a secure area, pending an instruction from the KPU," he
said.
In Yogyakarta, the provincial elections commission said that a
shortage of funds would hamper the election runoff on Sept. 20.
Chairman of Yogyakarta KPUD Suparman Marzuki said the
commission only had Rp 800 million at its disposal, enough only
to cover salaries of its staff members until December.
"If we do not receive fresh funds in the near future, we are
doubtful the runoff will take place," he said.
Suparman also hoped that the provincial administration would
provide emergency funds for the sake of the poll.