Raising Political Party Funds Effectively Prevent Money Politics?

MPR / DPR Building (Irvan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) has proposed an additional political party grant. The increase is 48 times. The goal is for the continuation of regeneration, because of the high cost of politics which results in unhealthy politics.

Political Observer of the State Islamic University (UIN) Adi Prayitno emphasized that the increase in political party aid funds does not guarantee that parties will be healthy and avoid money politics.

It's all a matter of culture and habit. Adi said, no matter how much funds a party has, whether it is a little or a lot, if the political culture is corrupt, it will forever be corrupt. And it is not a matter of lack of funds.

"It is not effective. So raising the political party aid fund is not a solution to amputate money politics or political dowry. Raising funds is also not a solution to reducing expensive political costs, is it. It has nothing to do with it. It is a burden to the state," Adi said when contacted by VOI. , in Jakarta, Friday, November 29.

According to Adi, this political party aid fund did not solve anything. The most important thing is to change the mentality and behavior of the cadres. Moreover, this fantastic amount of assistance is irrelevant in the midst of the underperformance of political parties.

"So if you want to be honest about the prohibition on money politics, political dowry already exists. There is a law, if it is not implemented, it is useless. No matter how much money is paid to help political parties. Likewise with political dowry. To be honest, if you want to reduce costly politics, enforce the law, that's all, "he explained.

Previously, Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian asked Commission II of the DPR to support an increase in political party aid funds.

Aid funds for discourse political parties have increased by 48-fold or 4,800 percent from IDR 1,000 to IDR 48,000 per vote in the future.

"We have negotiated with the Ministry of Finance (Ministry of Finance) on the issue of supporting political assistance (political assistance). We ask for the support of Commission II to also be fought for, so that political parties can get a bigger budget to survive the operations of political parties," said Tito in a working meeting with Commission II, at the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, November 28.

Tito said the political party budget was aimed at making party operations run better and healthier. It uses the principle of follow money. Where later the budget is used in accordance with the established program.

"To survive the operations of political parties. We use the principle of the follow money program. The money has been prepared, automatically the program with target outputs in 2020 we will work on based on these budgets," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Information Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs Bahtiar said that the nominal increase in political party assistance funds was the result of a study by the Political and Communication Directorate of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) some time ago.

According to Bahtiar, the increase has brought the total funding for political parties that must be disbursed by the government from the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) in the future to around Rp. 6 trillion.

"In terms of studies from Bappenas friends, my discussion with them is approximately Rp. 48 thousand per ballot. Approximately Rp. 6 trillion," said Bahtiar.

Bahtiar said, a number of state institutions have also had studies related to increasing political party aid funds. One of them, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), has reviewed the appropriate nominal amount of political party assistance funds ranging from IDR 5,000 to IDR 10,000.

In his opinion, Bahtiar admitted that he once proposed that political party funds be increased to Rp5,400 per ballot about three years ago. This figure is realistic if you look at the state's financial condition at that time.

"In the past (I) proposed only Rp. 5,400 at least, now it is Rp. 1,000. We are realistic that there is no state finances, not only to finance this. I two (or) three years ago, I proposed Rp. 5,400 or approximately Rp. 750 billion. That was three years ago I was also the one who tried it first, "said Bahtiar.

Political party budget illustration (Pixabay)

Still not enough

The Secretary General (Secretary General) of the Ministry of Home Affairs Hadi Prabowo said that there is still a budget shortfall of IDR 4 billion for political party assistance funds in 2020. He assessed this was because the number of political parties participating in the 2019 Election was more than the 2014 election.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs, in this case politics and general government, has indeed suggested (funds) for political party assistance per vote of Rp1,000, in 2020 it is because there is an increasing number of political parties so that it is still lacking, approximately Rp. 4 billion," said Hadi.

As is known, a 10-fold increase in political party funding was just passed last year through Government Regulation No.1 of 2018 concerning the Second Amendment to Government Regulation Number 5 of 2009 concerning Financial Assistance to Political Parties. The PP was signed by President Jokowi on January 4 2018 and promulgated by the Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly, on January 5, 2018.

Funds for financial assistance to central-level political parties that won seats in the DPR previously were Rp. 108, now it is Rp. 1,000 per valid vote. Then for the DPRD and city / regency government levels it becomes Rp. 1,500 per valid vote.

In the PP, the increase in political party funds is provided for political education for party members and the public. In addition, political party funding is provided for the operational costs of the political party secretariat.

With this increase, there has been an increase in the funds issued by the government related to political party funds. From the previous Rp. 13.5 billion a year for parties participating in the election to Rp. 111 billion for aid funds for political parties every year.