Between 2004 and 2017, the KPK made red-handed arrests of 80 regional heads, including governors, regents and mayors.
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Kompas/Alif Ichwan
Two staffers from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) show banknotes confiscated during the arrest of graft suspects in Central Lampung, at a press conference at the KPK building in Jakarta on Thursday night. The KPK named three graft suspects and confiscated Rp 1 billion related to a bribery case allegedly involving a local councilor and PT SMI for an infrastructure development project.
This daily ran a big headline, "Indonesia\'s Corruption Crisis". The title was chosen because of the continual public anger against corruption.
In a single month, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested three regional heads, namely the Jombang regent, Ngada regent and Subang regent. Moreover, the KPK also made red-handed arrests in Central Lampung. Between 2004 and 2017, the KPK made red-handed arrests of 80 regional heads, including governors, regents and mayors.
Seeing the widespread corruption in Indonesia, it is reasonable to say that the country is in a corruption crisis. In a number of areas there is even a corruption dynasty, as corrupt practices are passed down through incumbents. In Subang, West Java, three regents over 12 years were involved in corruption cases, namely Eep Hidayat, Ojang Suhandi and Imas Aryumningsih. Imas was arrested by the KPK and named a suspect.
The rise of corruption must be addressed. Unfortunately, efforts to overcome corruption are often miscalculated. The House of Representatives\' Special Committee on Inquiry recommended that the KPK establish an independent supervisory board to monitor the KPK\'s actions. Chairman of the Inquiry Committee from the Golkar Party faction Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa asked the KPK to implement the recommendations from his committee. The House of Representatives threatened to file another request for the right to launch an inquiry into the KPK if they did not implement the recommendations. Deputy House Speaker Fahri Hamzah said the KPK was not needed in a democratic country. "The KPK is more suitable for North Korea", Fahri was quoted as saying by a number of news portals.
The reaction of the House members is misjudged. Dissolving the KPK would not make corruption disappear from this country, but would nourish it instead. Establishing an independent supervisory body against the KPK, in our opinion, would only hinder the eradication of corruption in this country. Political parties should think about how they can have party members who are clean, have integrity and are against corruption. Corruption is about intention.
How can political parties identify why corruption dynasties happen in Subang and other regions? There must be something wrong. Why do corruption verdicts never discourage? Why are a number of regional heads arrested by the KPK ahead of regional elections? The KPK also needs to be more careful about traps and political games behind red-handed arrest operations. Is it because of the high cost of politics, which forces regional heads to seek campaign funds by breaking the law?
Political parties must seek solutions to the root causes of corruption. Through their members in the House of Representatives, political parties can design election laws without high political costs. Political parties may also design assistance for heads of regions or regional head candidates to help them understand about corruption, bribery and gratuities.
Good governance must be taught to regional head candidates. Because in several cases, there are regional heads who claim not to know or pretend not to know that what they are doing constitutes corruption. Political parties have a big responsibility to create a clean Indonesia.
