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Judging a book by its cover
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A committee member at a polling station in Denpasar, Bali, checks a ballot for the city's mayoral election before handing it to a voter during a revote on Dec. 13. The revote was carried out after the local elections supervisory committee found that six people who were not on the list of eligible voters had cast votes in the election at the polling station on Dec. 9. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
A
n early reminder for voters in the 101 provinces, regencies and municipalities who will elect their leaders in the upcoming regional elections: Don’t judge the candidates by their covers. Politicians are experts in misleading voters with their courtesy, generosity, popularity and perhaps piety.
A case in point is the recent arrest of Banyuasin Regent Yan Anton Fardjian whom the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is accusing of accepting bribes worth Rp 1 billion (US$77,000) from a businessman who was bidding for several projects at the local culture and education agency. KPK investigators nabbed the regent on the eve of his departure to Mecca for the haj with his wife.
The regent, at 31, was known for his care for people. He, for example, visited the children of a murder victim in outlying Indrapura village late in May and donated cash and staples to the mourning family.
One month later the young leader received an award from the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) for his contribution to the government’s birth control efforts. And feeling confident of his chances because of his real actions for the people, he has openly expressed his bid for the South Sumatra gubernatorial post in 2018.
Yan showed remorse when the KPK took him to Jakarta for questioning, which will put him in detention to facilitate the graft case’s investigation. Indeed regret always comes last; therefore voters must carefully screen each candidate before casting their ballots before it is too late.
KPK data reveal that Yan is the 51st head of a second-level administrative region (regencies/mayoralties) it has charged with corruption since the inception of the antigraft body late in 2013. Apart from being the latest, Yan is also the youngest among 185 politicians from various parties serving at national and regional level the KPK has prosecuted so far.
A few months back, the KPK apprehended Subang Regent Ojang Suhandi, who is 38. Less than a week before catching Yan, the KPK named two-time Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam, 49, a graft suspect for allegedly accepting a bribe in return for a mining permit he awarded to a company.
Learning from regional heads’ vulnerability to corrupt practices, voters and the public at large have to remain skeptical and critical of any candidate. Whoever wishes to run for a public post will try to look good, if necessary by hiring personality development and PR consultants, while hiding his or her past blemishes.
Rather than giving the aspirants the benefit of the doubt, voters had better rely on findings by credible watchdogs like Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) to gauge the suitability of candidates to govern. Oftentimes ICW findings served as a tip-off for the KPK to launch investigations.
Learning from the series of arrests of regional heads, political parties need to place integrity on top of the list of criteria of candidates for the regional elections. Of course political party elites have to lead by example before sending the anticorruption message to whoever they endorse to contest elections.
