Political parties ignore campaign fund regulation

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.