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.