PDI-P the most corrupt, Kwik says

PDI-P the most corrupt, Kwik says

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) is the most corrupt party in Indonesia and will
crumble during the next elections, PDI-Perjuangan's very own
State Minister of National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie
said Monday.

"The largest corruption is committed by my party. PDI
Perjuangan is on brink of disarray. It will break down in the
next election," he told participants of a national meeting on
administrative reform in his capacity as minister.

The meeting was opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
who chairs PDI Perjuangan, at the State Palace earlier Monday.
The President was not present during Kwik's speech at the Sahid
Jaya hotel on Jl. Sudirman.

PDI Perjuangan is one of many parties founded in the wake of
reform movement that deposed the corrupt-ridden, 32-year regime
of Soeharto in May 1998.

Kwik, however, failed to provide evidence or reasons for his
controversial statement, but focused on a complaint from the head
of West Java's settlement and regional infrastructure office.

The minister said the official had complained about a number
of PDI Perjuangan supporters who came to his office to demand
projects.

"We are more afraid of PDI Perjuangan members than Police
Mobile Brigade officers because party supporters threatened to
mobilize the masses if their requests were turned down. The fear
is that as PDI Perjuangan dominates the provincial legislative
council, they can fire us," Kwik quoted the official as saying.

Kwik, who heads PDI Perjuangan's research and development
division, said he possessed concrete data about corruption
committed by his party, but the data could not be easily used as
evidence.

"We have concrete data about the corruption but we lack
documents to bring the persons involved to justice," he said.

To save the party, he said, he had formed a team of 20 party
activists who were committed to the party.

"The team will continue attracting more members who share the
same concerns," he said.

Kwik often has a different voice to that of the Cabinet,
including on the issues of privatization, the role of the
International Monetary Fund in Indonesia and foreign loans.

He recently said the nation had wasted Rp 444 trillion (US$49
billion) of its assets, partly due to corrupt state funds.