Political Sponsors Eat Away Indonesian Democracy

Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) research found out that 80 percent of the 466 candidates competing in the simultaneous Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) rely heavily on sponsors or third parties funding the candidates’ campaigns. The commission’s corruption prevention deputy, Pahala Nainggolan, revealed that the sponsors would ask for compensation if the candidate they supported won. “The rewards vary, from the ease of licensing, participating in government tenders, business security, or asking for a strategic position,” he stated on Friday (8/7).

The conclusion was apparent after KPK conducted a survey on 466 candidates competing in 2015, 2017, and 2018 Pilkada. A total of 541 regions held the simultaneous Pilkada during those years. Over the years, the dependence on the funds from sponsors keeps increasing. Pahala explained that in the 2015 Pilkada alone, the sponsorship contributed about 70.3 percent of the campaign cost. The figure rose to 82.6 percent and 82.3 percent in 2017 and 2018 Pilkada, respectively.