T

he Golkar Party is facing electoral repercussions following the naming of Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, one of the party'€™s senior members, as a graft suspect in two separate cases.

Atut currently serves as chairman of Golkar'€™s women'€™s empowerment department and deputy treasurer.

Her contributions are believed to be crucial to the party. As deputy treasurer, Atut is tasked with ensuring that the party is able to collect enough funds to finance its activities ahead of the 2014 legislative election, set to be held in April.

Party officials put up a brave front after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that Atut had been charged with graft for her alleged roles in the Lebak election graft case and the health equipment graft case.

'€œUndoubtedly, the case would harm the party'€™s image ahead of the 2014 general election, but only in the beginning [following +media reports on Atut'€™s case] because we are supporting the legal process,'€ Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono, who is also coordinating people'€™s welfare minister, said on Tuesday.

Golkar senior politician Hajriyanto Y. Thohari, who is also deputy speaker of the People'€™s Consultative Assembly (MPR), claimed that the case against Atut would not take a toll on Golkar. '€œGolkar is a modern party that does not rely heavily on individuals,'€ he said.

The party, he said, had asked Atut to focus on her legal problems and would review her position as the party'€™s deputy treasurer.

Nurul Arifin, the party'€™s deputy secretary-general, said that the latest graft scandal hitting the party would not affect chairman Aburizal Bakrie'€™s presidential bid. '€œPak ARB will continue his campaign,'€ she said, adding that Aburizal was not surprised with the KPK'€™s move. '€œIt was time. She had been summoned by the KPK several times.'€

Banten, a province with 10 million inhabitants, is seen as one of Golkar'€™s strongholds in the upcoming elections. In 2009, the party earned only 14 percent of the vote in the province, second after the Democratic Party (PD), which garnered 22 percent. Golkar is believed to have benefited from the downfall of PD, whose electability has plunged to below 10 percent due to various graft scandals.

Golkar'€™s strongest rival, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is set to take advantage of Atut'€™s imminent downfall.

The party said that Banten Deputy Governor Rano Karno, an actor-turned PDI-P politician, was ready to replace Atut. '€œWe are ready to serve the mandate to lead the province,'€ PDI-P deputy secretary-general Eriko Sotarduga said.

The 2004 Law on regional administrations stipulates that a governor, regent or mayor shall be suspended should he or she be named a suspect in a criminal case and his or her duties are to be carried out by his or her deputy. Regional leaders are dismissed after he or she is convicted under a final court verdict.

Atut is the second senior member of Golkar to be charged with corruption by the KPK.

Another Golkar executive and the now former Riau governor Rusli Zainal is now standing trial for his alleged roles in three separate graft cases. Rusli has been accused of abusing his authority in approving the annual work plans of a number of private companies operating in Pelalawan regency, Riau.

He was also indicted for his roles in the Riau National Games (PON) graft case, in which he stands accused of bribing a group of local legislators via former Riau Youth and Sports Agency head Lukman Abbas in an attempt to expedite the revision of a bylaw to increase the budget allocation for the construction of the 2012 PON venues in Riau.

Setya Novanto, the party'€™s treasurer, is also alleged to be involved in Rusli'€™s case, though he has repeatedly denied the accusation.

A number of Golkar officials have also been implicated in the graft case surrounding Koran procurement at the Religious Affairs Ministry. The Jakarta Corruption Court has convicted Golkar lawmaker Zulkarnaen Djabar and the KPK is now reportedly zeroing in on another Golkar executive, Priyo Budi Santoso, who is also a House of Representatives deputy speaker, in the case.