Problematic Legislative Candidates

The latest pre-election buzzphrase is 'caleg bermasalah' - legislative candidates with problems. These range from using forged documents to bypass the requirements to stand for election to committing crimes.

According to Indonesian TV station SCTV in a report from 15 October, problems include alleged involvement in crimes (including corruption), faking hospital statements of good health and registering more than once. And that's just from Riau province. The next day, Kompas newspaper reported that in Banyumas, Central Java, the local office of the General Election Commission (KPU) received 14 complaints from the public alleging candidates were involved in mischief including corruption and drug abuse.

On 20 October, news portal detik.com reported that the KPU had received 162 reports of problem candidates, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, led by former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, leading the pack with 26 reports followed by the People's Conscience Party, led by UN-indicted former general Wiranto, with 22. By 21 October this figure had risen to 253, according to a KPU official who went on to say that of these, 13 were involved in legal cases, 13 more faked their academic credentials and a further 43 were suspected of corruption.

However, things do get done. The South Sulawesi KPU has since removed 13 candidates from the list - three were thrown off (one for being nominated by two different parties in two different areas, one for being a civil servant and one for being nominated in two different areas), and 10 resigned. The KPU helpfully explained that being a drinker, stealing electricity or having more than one wife could be used as reasons for throwing people off the list, and that it is investigating cases of apparent fakery of graduation certificates.

STOP PRESS: Detik.com has just reported that Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia's founding president, faked her high school graduation certificate to allow her to stand for election. She has since resigned her candidacy to "concentrate on managing her party", meaning the KPU will not go ahead with its plan to report her to the police...

STOP PRESS: The General Elections Commission announced on 28 October that it was removing 72 candidates from the list. 66 of these resigned of their own accord, four were suspected of faking their academic credentials and two turned out be be civil servants. A total of nine candidates have been put forward to replace them.