Political parties a safe haven for corrupt politicians

Political parties a safe haven for corrupt politicians

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta

A progressive-thinking Cabinet member during the New Order era
once said that to cover up past wrongdoings and avoid
prosecution, one had to cling to the power he now had and if
possible accumulate even more power.

There is no way to go but up, he said.

Although this statement described former president Soeharto's
last-gasp efforts to stay in power and protect the interests of
his family and cronies, it still rings true in light of current
events, which have seen politicians seeking a safe haven in
political parties from prosecutors who are after their scalps.

A blatant example of this worrying trend occurred last week
when a beleaguered member of the General Elections Commission
(KPU), Anas Urbaningrum, resigned from his post only to join the
ranks of the Democratic Party, the political vehicle of President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Anas made the move in the midst of the legal quagmire all of
the commission members have become caught up in as a result of
corruption allegations.

Two senior members of the elections commission, chairman
Nazaruddin Syamsuddin and Mulyana W. Kusumah, are already behind
bars, while others are still being questioned by the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK).

Anas did not admit his move was inspired by the desire to
obtain protection from his legal entanglements, saying he had
been offered a position in the party three months before the
Democratic Party convened in May to elect new leadership.

But people could be forgiven for thinking that even if Anas
had been offered the position nine months ago, he would have
accepted it as he must have sensed the approaching danger.

A coalition of non-governmental organizations filed a
complaint with the Corruption Eradication Commission about
alleged corruption in the elections commission as early as August
2004.

The move by the former chairman of the Association of Islamic
Students was the latest instance of an individual with a troubled
past jumping on the bandwagon of a political party.

Less than two months after taking over the helm of the
National Mandate Party (PAN) from charismatic leader Amien Rais,
new party head Soetrisno Bachir already had landed in hot water.

The businessman-cum-politician was caught up in the loan
scandal at state Bank Mandiri after his name was included on a
list of businesspeople with bad debts issued by the Ministry of
Finance.

Rumors of Soetrisno's possible link to the scandal were
already circulated during PAN's congress last May, but he was
still elected as the party's new leader in Semarang, Central
Java, thanks to support from Amien, who still has the greatest
say in the direction of the party.

Other politicians whose names appear on the list issued by the
Ministry of Finance in connection with the Bank Mandiri scandal
are Habil Marati and Osman Sapta.

The former is a central board member of the United Development
Party (PPP) and a member of House of Representatives Commission
XI on finance and banking affairs. A company owned by Habil
allegedly owes a debt of Rp 54 billion to Bank Mandiri.

Osman was head of the Regional Unity Party, a political party
that failed to pass the electoral threshold of 3 percent of the
total national vote in the last general election.

He is accused of having a bad debt of US$23 million to Bank
Mandiri. Following an audit by the Supreme Audit Agency, the
Attorney General's Office is now investigating the case.

All of the politicians, aside from Anas, made their names as
businessmen before making the plunge into politics. The
inevitable impression is that these people have built up power
bases in political parties in order to help protect themselves
from prosecution related to their business dealings.

Faced with the need to protect themselves, they may have seen
the possibility of manipulating political parties to shield
themselves from any legal hassles.

Business and politics was the perfect marriage.

Late last year, corruption watchdog Transparency International
Indonesia published a report that said political parties, along
with the House of Representatives, were the two most corrupt
institutions in the country.

Although the report was hardly prophetic given that most
people already had a pretty good idea the two institutions were
corrupt, it once again raised disturbing questions about the
state of our political system.

It is time for civil society to revive the short-lived
campaign against crooked politicians, or our political parties
will become a clearinghouse for corrupt individuals and our last
chance for empowering democracy will wither away.

The writer is a journalist at The Jakarta Post.