Legal researcher at the Legal and Judicial Monitoring Division of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Donal Fariz (right), and ICW researcher Almas Sjafrina (left) provide information related to the 2019 presidential election campaign funds in Kalibata, Jakarta, Wednesday (09/01/2019). The campaign fund analysis was to made based on data from the General Elections Commission (KPU) about reports on campaign funds for the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs of Jokowi-Ma\'ruf and Prabowo-Sandi in the 2019 presidential election.
The People’s Voters Education Network (JPPR) has found possibilities of fictitious donors in the list of campaign donations provided by both presidential candidates.
The JPPR said that it had found 18 allegedly fictitious donors in the Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin camp, with a total donation of Rp 7,770,475 (US$546.69). It also found that Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno might have received Rp 27,360,500 from 12 fictitious individuals and two fictitious groups (Kompas, 22/1/2019).
The amounts of donations with allegedly fictitious donors are tiny compared to both camps’ entire campaign funds.
According to General Elections Commission (KPU) data based on both camps’ initial campaign fund reports (LADK) and campaign fund donation receipt reports (LPSDK), Jokowi-Ma’ruf has a campaign fund of Rp 55.98 billion and Prabowo-Sandiaga has Rp 56.05 billion.
Despite the relatively tiny amounts of donations with the allegedly fictitious donors, election organizers, including the KPU and the Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), must not let this slide. Both candidate pairs’ campaign teams should not neglect the findings. Investigation must be carried out. Campaign donations from unclear sources may lead to legal troubles. On the other hand, campaign donations, no matter the amount, are a concrete form of support if given sincerely.
Law No. 7/2017 on General Elections, Article 496, stipulates that election participants that deliberately provide false statements in campaign donation reports may face up to one year in prison and up to Rp 12 million in fine. The rule refers to Articles 334 and 335 of the same law, which define election participants as presidential and VP candidates, political parties, legislative candidates and campaign team members. There is no specific legal punishment for campaign donors who hide their identities.
The General Elections Law’s Article 497 stipulates that anyone who deliberately provides false statements in campaign fund reports may face up to two years in prison and up to Rp 24 million in fine. This article regulates individual election participants, such as legislative candidates.
As for donors, The General Elections Law only stipulates the maximum amount of donations and the obligation of donors to report their donations, be it in the form of cash, goods or services. With respect to services, the reporting will be more difficult. The KPU, the Bawaslu and campaign teams must clarify on the JPPR’s findings on campaign donors. No need for unnecessary noise but the public needs to know the sources of all campaign donations.
