Political parties ignore campaign fund regulation
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Most political parties contesting the legislative elections have turned a blind eye to the Election Law requiring them to be financially accountable and have gotten away with failing to submit reports on campaign funds, an international poll watchdog says.
The Washington-based International Foundation for Elections (IFES) said in a report made available to The Jakarta Post on Thursday that only 13 of 24 political parties contesting the April 5 legislative election had submitted audited reports of campaign funds to the General Elections Commission (KPU).
"Of the 13 political parties, only Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN), Indonesian Unity Party (PSI) and Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) beat the July 12 deadline for submitting their reports," IFES said in the report.
The report also found that six of 16 political parties which secured at least one seat in the House of Representatives failed to submit such a report.
It also found that only the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PPIB) conducted its audit in accordance with the agreed procedures jointly drawn up by the KPU and the Indonesian Accountants Association (IAI).
Among 10 parties with the most seats in the House, the United Development Party (PPP) and Crescent Star Party (PBB) have totally ignored the requirement to submit their campaign fund reports.
The Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) were found in the report to have spent the most on campaign activities. Golkar spent a whopping Rp 108.28 billion while PDI-P spent Rp 108.27 billion.
In the race for a Regional Representatives Council (DPD) seat, of the over 900 candidates who vied for the 128 available seats, only one candidate had submitted an audited campaign fund report to the KPU.
The candidate, Thoyib Amir of Banten province, who was elected to the DPD, disclosed in his campaign fund report that he financed his campaign himself.
In light of such a flagrant disregard for financial accountability, IFES suggested that the country's Election Law be amended to punish errant candidates.
Violations of financial reporting obligations by political parties ranging from the late submission of financial reports, failure to submit the reports to campaigning with funds collected from an account other than one submitted to the General Elections Commission (KPU) should incur a more severe penalty beyond mere "public reprimand", it said.
"Laws on political parties and general elections should be reviewed and revised...and sanctions for offenses should include monetary fines and political penalties (such as denying the rights of political parties to contest the future election)," the report suggested.
Law No. 12/2003 on legislative elections and Law No. 23/2003 on presidential elections stipulates heavy penalties for individuals who provide false information in the political party financial report and campaign fund reports of individual candidates. However, no punishment is stipulated for candidates or parties that fail to submit proper financial reports.