Reports on money politics probed
JAKARTA (JP): A special team of the Election Supervisory Committee has begun investigating alleged practices of "money politics" by political parties in response to reports, committee deputy chairman Todung Mulya Lubis said Tuesday.
The alleged parties reported, among others, by the Urban Poor Consortium were the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR) and Golkar Party. "We have to admit that the committee is facing difficulties in proving the allegations, despite helpful data from UPC," Todung said.
UPC coordinator Wardah Hafidz strived to submit the group's data to the Attorney General's Office and the committee on Monday.
The attorney general staff turned her down and Wardah was disappointed when told the committee could only submit recommendations after providing evidence of alleged violations of election rules.
"It is the Supreme Court which has the authority to impose sanctions towards parties if proven guilty in money politics," Todung said.
Separately, Wardah said political parties with access to government funds tend to abuse them.
"This is a habit of the New Order regime that must be removed if we want to have a new, democratic Indonesia," Wardah, a sociologist, told a discussion held by the Ansor youth organization of the Muslim Nahdlatul Ulama organization.
Wardah denied allegations that the consortium is linked to former Armed Forces chief Gen.(ret) L.B. Moerdani and was a foreign agent.
Meanwhile, PDR reported Wardah to the police Tuesday for defamation and slander. The maximum penalties are one year and four years respectively.
The party's lawyer Ahmad P. Pulungan said Wardah accused the party of abusing funds worth Rp 6.4 trillion (US$800 million) from the social safety net program and the farmer scheme credit.
"We respect Wardah for trying to conduct social control. But the way she did it has damaged our party's name," Pulungan said at the city police headquarters. He added Wardah had ignored their written warning.
The party's public relations officer, Taufiqulhadi, said Wardah broke an agreement with PDR by continuing to talk to the media. He said Wardah's lawyer Hendardi agreed to temporarily stop talking to the media until the matter was cleared with the party. But PDR would drop charges if Wardah withdrew her statements, he said.
Separately in Yogyakarta, secretary-general of PDR Jumhur Hidayat accused Wardah as part of a high-level conspiracy to obstruct the people-oriented economy program. (40/edt/jun/swa)