Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Deputy Chair Basaria Panjaitan (right) presents documents to Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a discussion at the central executive board office of the Democratic Party in Jakarta, Wednesday (13/9). The KPK was visiting the Democratic Party to discuss the political party integrity framework as part of its corruption prevention efforts.
A big photograph of KPK deputy chairman Basaria Pandjaitan meeting Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday (14/9) has attracted attention.
The photo on page 2 of Kompas was published along with a news piece titled “KPK Helps Political Party Integrity”. It looks as though it justifies a Kompas main news piece from September 13, 2017, on page 1, titled “KPK-Novanto in Tactical Duel”.
The KPK is investigation the alleged corruption in the electronic ID card project that has dragged House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto in as a suspect. Novanto failed to turn up for questioning at the KPK.
At the same time, on Monday, House Commission III held a hearing with the KPK and the atmosphere was more like a meeting held by the House special committee for the inquiry on the KPK.
At a glance, the meeting with the leader of the Democratic Party looked like the KPK was trying to gain political support. The support of the public and the statement by President Joko Widodo, who rejected the weakening of KPK, was not enough. The Democratic Party was one of the parties that argued against the use of the House’s right of inquiry on the KPK.
It turned out that the KPK leaders did not only meet with the leader of the Democratic Party. At the same time, the KPK also met with the leaders of the NasDem Party. Before that, the KPK also met with the leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura). The KPK will meet with other parties that have seats in the parliament.
The move by the KPK leaders is in line with Article 1 Paragraph 3 of Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission which states that corruption eradication constitutes a series of actions to prevent and eradicate corruption through coordination, supervision, monitoring, investigation, prosecution and questioning at court with an active role in society. Article 6 of the KPK Law also states that the KPK’s function of monitoring is carried out on the governance of the state.
In article 14 of Law No.30/2002, it is stated that the KPK has the authority to carry out reviews of the administration’s management system in every state and government institution and give recommendations to the heads of institutions and governments to make changes if according to the review, certain administrations are considered prone to corruption.
Political parties are not state institutions or governments. However, parties are the producers of state officials. Based on a finding by the KPK, 32 percent of those that have fallen into corruption are politicians. They consist of 78 heads of regions and 134 House of Representatives and Regional Legislative Council members.
Political party cadres in turn can lead state institutions and governments. The KPK has the responsibility to prepare them to develop better integrity.
