Update sought on Wiranto, Hamzah funds
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) asked on Saturday presidential candidates Wiranto and Hamzah Haz to submit their most recent bank accounts.
The KPU said Golkar Party's Wiranto-Solahudin Wahid ticket had reported their account balance, which amounted to Rp 49 billion (US$5.2 million). Their statement of account was dated May 31, a day before campaigning began.
The list of donors revealed that the Golkar Party contributed Rp 30 billion, while Wiranto donated Rp 3.7 billion. The remainder was provided both by individual and corporate donors.
Wiranto, who is a former Indonesian Military (TNI) commander, submitted a recent statement of wealth, which totaled Rp 39.35 billion plus $44,397, to the Corruption Eradication Commission.
The candidates nominated by the United Development Party (PPP), Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar, have not updated their statement of account, which stood at Rp 2.75 billion as of May 31.
KPU data reveals that at least Rp 216 billion in public funds went to the five presidential candidates to fund their activities during the campaigning period, which concluded on Thursday.
Of that amount, almost half went to the candidates of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), incumbent president Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi, who had amassed Rp 103 billion from both individual and corporate donors as of June 30.
Donors to the ticket were mostly corporations, which contributed Rp 66 billion.
The pair's opening balance was a mere Rp 2.6 billion.
Candidates of the upstart Democratic Party Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla were third, with Rp 40 billion, excluding noncash donations that await calculation. Their opening balance stood at Rp 1.5 billion.
The pair's most recent statement was dated June 2, with corporations donating Rp 16 billion. Two of Kalla's companies, PT Bukaka Teknik Utama and PT Hadji Kalla, contributed Rp 1 billion each.
National Mandate Party (PAN) candidates Amien Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo submitted their most recent statement dated July 1, showing a balance of Rp 22 billion. Most contributions came from individual donors.
Law No. 23/2003 on presidential elections stipulates that one day before the presidential campaign all candidates must submit statements of bank accounts through which they will accept donations from supporters. The candidates must report to the KPU individual donations amounting to Rp 5 million (US$526) or more and corporate donations of Rp 750 million or more. The statements must be updated a day after the end of the month-long campaign.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said that the commission would seek an explanation from the Wiranto-Solahuddin and Hamzah-Agum tickets as to why they had not submitted up-to-date statements.
Commission deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said the candidates would also have to submit the balance sheet of their campaign fund report to the KPU no later than July 8.
"Afterwards, we shall ask independent accountants to carry out a thorough audit of the balance sheets," he said.
Contacted separately, PPP treasurer Rahmat Basuki said the bank statement submitted by the Hamzah-Agum ticket was flawed due to a typographical error.
"We forgot to change the May 31 date to the new date when we submitted the report to the KPU a few days ago," he said.
Rifki Mochtar, from the Wiranto-Solahuddin camp, confirmed that the pair had not updated the data.
"We shall submit the correct data on July 4," he told The Jakarta Post.
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Law No. 23/2003 on presidential elections stipulates penalties for campaign fund irregularities:
Article 89 (6): Those who give or receive campaign funds exceeding the designated amount face between four months and two years in jail or a fine of between Rp 200 million and Rp 1 billion.
Article 89 (8): Those who provide false information in campaign fund reports may face between two months and 12 months in prison or a fine of between Rp 1 million and Rp 10 million.