The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) warned political parties contesting the 2014 legislative election against accepting gratuities ahead of ballot day.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that the antigraft body had written to the leaders of 15 political parties, including three local parties in Aceh, warning them that their members could be prosecuted for accepting gratuities.
“We especially warned incumbent members of the House of Representatives, local councils and Regional Representative Council [DPD] against the practice,” Johan said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Johan said that incumbent candidates who had been given gifts or gratuities should report them to the KPK no more than 30 days after receipt.
The KPK said that it had issued the warning as more than 90 percent of the 560 lawmakers would seek reelection this year.
The antigraft body had earlier warned that the country’s high-cost election campaigns would encourage politicians to misuse their power and commit graft in their attempts to find easy money in the days leading up to the elections.
The KPK said that potential instances of graft that could take place prior to the upcoming election are those related to the disbursement of the government’s social assistance fund (Bansos) and to the issuance of concessions in the mining and forestry sectors.
Against intensifying corruption, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also chairman of the Democratic Party, called on the law enforcement agencies to not use corruption cases for political gain ahead of the 2014 elections.
President also pointed out the “negative impact” of corruption eradication.
He said government officials had become reluctant to make decisions and disburse budgets, fearing they could be charged because of their actions.
“I have received complaints
from governors, mayors and regents that such an issue has constrained development in the regions,” he said.
Responding the KPK’s letter, the Gerindra Party’s central board said it would follow the instruction.
“I, as Gerindra chairman, instruct all cadres who are members of the DPR, DPRD or DPD, and those who are state officials to not accept any kind of campaign fund and anything categorized as graft,” Gerindra chairman Suhardi said.
Suhardi said that the party would join the KPK’s efforts to free the 2014 legislative election from graft.
For many, political parties at the House have lost all credibility and the House is deemed to be the most corrupt institution in the country.
