Wed, 04 Feb 2004

Students to name crooked politicians

SEMARANG: A student group in Semarang, Central Java, promised on Tuesday to announce the names of at least five unscrupulous politicians from the province ahead of this year's general elections.

"That's our commitment. Those five politicians are currently serving as members of the Central Java legislative council," said Adi Fajar from the Student Executive Board Network in Semarang.

Adi said his group would hold a meeting before it made public the names of the so-called "rotten" politicians, who were contesting seats in the upcoming elections.

The five deserved to be branded as such because of their alleged "immoral acts" while in service, he said.

They had demanded millions of rupiah in severance pay when they ended their five-year terms as councillors in April, and had joined an overseas trip using state funds, while many locals remained in poverty, he said.

The move is part of a nationwide campaign that targets unscrupulous politicians in this year's elections. --JP