Political contract is needed

It is interesting to note that Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Taufiqurrachman Ruki said that presidential and vice presidential candidates should sign a political contract, which would state their readiness -- should they be elected -- to punish corruptors, including bureaucrats or their party colleagues.

Although Prof. Ahmad Ali of University of Hasanuddin Makassar commented that what the KPK needs to do is to hunt corruptors down -- and not to come with a proposal as it is up to academicians to do that (Pelita, April 23) -- such a contract is, I think, badly needed.

Taufiqurrachman and his team are currently investigating 177 alleged corruption cases (The Jakarta Post, April 23).

The political "contract" is actually already in place, if one could say so. Since the independence of this country, as required by article 9 of the 1945 Constitution, every president and vice president are sworn-in before assuming power. The oath is taken before the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session.

What kind of political contract would serve as a precise tool for corruption eradication? It would not simply comprise a declaration but would need to be signed. So, if the president and vice president were to break the contract, they would be held accountable.

Above all, what the new president and vice president need to do is to commit to enforcing the law, perhaps using China and Malaysia as models. This could probably be done by signing the aforementioned contract before the MPR plenary session, prior to, or after, the president and the vice president take their oaths.

M. RUSDI Jakarta