PDI-P whines about lack of campaign funds

PDI-P whines about lack of campaign funds

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta

Less money from the disappointed business community and a lack of
donations by aspiring legislators were to blame for the shortage
of campaign finances for the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), party officials admitted.

Noviantika Nasution said on Wednesday that the party must now
be very careful in spending its limited budget.

"People think we are loaded ... Our funding is not as much as
we expected," she remarked.

She claimed that it was logical that the business community
had spread their funds among all candidates as each had a "more
or less equal chance" in the presidential election.

"Business people always side with those with better chances of
winning, but the past results in the (April) legislative election
shows that no party won a clear majority. That's why funds from
the business community are spread equally among the candidates,"
Noviantika suggested.

They expected to raise Rp 100 billion in donations to finance
the one-month campaign period to July 1, but Noviantika said the
party only had about half that amount.

PDI-P secretary-general Soetjipto also said that the party had
to rely on its own sources from executive board members and
regional branches for campaign financing.

"But that, of course, cannot cover all the costs. That's why
the ongoing campaign period is not as extravagant as the
legislative campaign," he explained.

All the legislative candidates had to put cash in to support
their campaign, which in PDI-P's case meant funds from 16,000
candidates.

Now for the presidential election, PDI-P candidate Megawati
Soekarnoputri must find other sources to finance their campaign.

The Golkar Party's candidate, Gen. (ret) Wiranto, held a
dinner for entrepreneurs in the capital to raise campaign funds.

Another candidate, Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also
held a similar event to gather funds on the resort island of
Bali.

Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) has opened a
public account for people who want to contribute.

A source at PDI-P complained about the lack of funds and
explained that many in the business community no longer supported
the party because of the poor results in the legislative
election.

Megawati's party did get the second largest number of votes,
slightly behind Golkar, but only 19 percent of the total, a huge
drop from 1999 when they got 34 percent, the most of any party.

"We will only be able to get monetary support if we manage to
make it to the second round of the presidential election (in
September)," the source said.

The top two of the five candidates will battle it out in
September if none wins over 50 percent on July 5. Megawati is
sitting in third place according to one poll and in a virtual
tie for second according to another, trailing Susilo by over 30
points in both.