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Vote-buying shadows Indonesian election

Dessy Sagita

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/02102024 Supporters of presidential-EPA.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Supporters of presidential candidate Anies Baswedan and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar shout slogans during a campaign rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, 10 February 2024. Indonesia is scheduled to hold their presidential election on 14 February 2024 EPA-EFE/ADI WEDA</span> </span></span></span>JAKARTA, Indonesia — When Indonesian housewife Suharti was returning home from a shopping trip, a gathering of political party workers handed her 100,000 rupiah ($6.3) and a T-shirt — and asked her to vote for their candidate next week.</div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/10/final-indonesia-campaign-rallies-draw-tens-of-thousands-1534">Final Indonesia campaign rallies draw tens of thousands</a></div><p>&quot;They told me to vote for this certain candidate but I still don&#x27;t know who I&#x27;m going to vote for,&quot; the 53-year-old told AFP.</p><p>&quot;Once I&#x27;m inside the voting booth, I&#x27;ll vote according to what my heart tells me to.&quot;</p><p>Voters, candidates and campaign volunteers have told AFP they saw free goodies and envelopes stuffed with cash being handed out ahead of the February 14 presidential, parliamentary and regional polls.</p><p>About 205 million Indonesians are registered to vote in the world&#x27;s third-biggest democracy, and the country&#x27;s election monitoring body, Bawaslu, has urged people to report any vote-buying.</p><p>But corruption remains a problem, and Transparency International in its 2023 report said the country&#x27;s anti-graft commission had been &quot;severely disempowered&quot;.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/2/5/indonesia-economic-growth-slows-in-2023-1457">Indonesia economic growth slows in 2023</a></div><p>Parliament is widely viewed as one of Indonesia&#x27;s most graft-hit institutions, and the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) monitor says at least 56 candidates previously convicted of graft are running for seats in this year&#x27;s legislative vote.</p><div><strong>Hundreds of envelopes </strong></div><p>One man who only gave his name as Andri told AFP he had been asked by several candidates running for a seat in parliament for help distributing money and groceries to lure voters.</p><p>He said he had been approached because of his role in a Jakarta football fan club.</p><p>He accepted the task.</p><p>&quot;I usually started (distributing money) to people closest to me first, and then to people in my neighborhood,&quot; the 37-year-old said.</p><p>&quot;I distributed hundreds or even thousands of envelopes, depending on how much the candidates gave me.&quot;</p><p>Despite warnings from official bodies that bribes are illegal, the practice persists.</p><p>&quot;It still happens because our regulations provide loopholes and law enforcement is not comprehensive enough,&quot; ICW researcher Seira Tamara told AFP.</p><p>Election frontrunner Prabowo Subianto has openly addressed the issue, urging people to take gifts but vote for their favorite candidate.</p><p>&quot;If somebody promises you money, just accept it, that&#x27;s your money, the people&#x27;s money. But please vote according to your heart,&quot; he recently told supporters.</p><p>Violations start at the recruitment stage where candidates must spend to earn their candidacy, said Tamara.</p><p>One woman who ran for a seat in parliament in 2019 told AFP on condition of anonymity she spent 250 million rupiah ($15,795) to buy votes, but still lost.</p><p>&quot;Now I am changing my method, I visit houses door-to-door and promote myself and my programs,&quot; she said.</p><div><strong>&#x27;Not effective&#x27; </strong></div><p>Andri of the football fan club said that out of several candidates he helped in 2019, only one won and entered parliament.</p><p>&quot;It is not effective in my opinion, definitely not a guarantee you will win,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;You don&#x27;t know who they are going to vote inside the polling booth.&quot;</p><p>Regardless, vote-buying and accepting cash both perpetuate corruption regardless of who wins, with advertising and bribery costs encouraging candidates to return favors once elected.</p><p>&quot;This is a vicious cycle,&quot; Tamara said.</p><p>&quot;The policies they make after... will not be for the public interest, but for the interest of their investors.&quot;</p><p>&quot;As long as there are people willing to accept the money&quot;, vote-buying will persist, she said.</p><p>Ukon Furkon Sukanda, a 39-year-old legislative candidate, is optimistic younger voters will be harder to bribe.</p><p>&quot;People who vote in exchange for money will slowly disappear and be replaced. It will become a contest of ideas,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Election frontrunner Prabowo Subianto has openly addressed the issue, urging people to take gifts but vote for their favorite candidate.</p>

Election frontrunner Prabowo Subianto has openly addressed the issue, urging people to take gifts but vote for their favorite candidate.