Vote buying tarnishes Yogyakarta elections

Vote buying tarnishes Yogyakarta elections

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Allegations of money politics and unethical campaigning have
overshadowed direct local leadership elections in three regencies
of Yogyakarta province on Sunday.

However, the polls, which were simultaneously held in the
regencies of Bantul, Sleman and Gunungkidul, generally passed off
peacefully and smoothly.

At least 11 people were arrested for involvement in money
politics in an attempt to ensure victory for their preferred
candidates, said Sleman election monitoring body member Ro'mi
Habie.

"The number of suspects could increase as incidences of money
politics took place in all 17 districts across Sleman regency. We
have reported these cases to the police," he said.

Ro'mi explained that the incidences of money politics were all
similar in nature, with campaign teams handing out cash to
potential voters, normally just a day or a couple of hours before
the polling stations opened.

In some cases, candidates held so-called "thanksgiving
ceremonies", where the guests/potential voters were given money
and food, and then asked to vote for the candidate hosting the
ceremony, he added.

As for unethical campaigning, Ro'mi said the election
monitoring body had found many leaflets circulating that
contained statements calculated to insult or defame particular
candidates.

As an example, he said there were leaflets circulating that
had purportedly been issued by the Yogyakarta governor and
sultan, Hamengkubuwono X, which urged people not to vote for Ibnu
Subiyakto, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's
candidate for regent in Sleman.

In Bantul, texting services were being widely used to try to
influence voters by tarnishing the images of particular
candidates, and even offering money in return not to make public
purported or imaginary graft cases.

These messages had also been received by polling station
committee members and journalists.

The messages mostly read "How much money do you want for not
exposing my graft case," or "If you need money, please contact my
wife".

"This is a crime and also constitutes defamation. Therefore,
we have given the names of those whom we suspect to the police.
If a campaign team is found guilty, the candidate will be
disqualified," Ro'mi said.

Meanwhile in Gunungkidul, many voters abstained from voting
due to widespread apathy and a lack of confidence that the
candidates would bring about any meaningful changes in people's
lives.