Pilkada Simultaneously With Anti-Corruption Day, KPK Chair Reminded About Vote Buying

KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri (Photo: KPK Public Relations)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri said that the 2020 simultaneous regional elections coinciding with World Anti-Corruption Day (Hakordia) should be a concern to build an anti-corruption culture. Not only that, he asked that the election process be carried out with integrity so that fraud would not occur.

"In conjunction with the commemoration of Hakordia today, to coincide with the implementation of people's democratic parties in the regions, the simultaneous regional elections for 2020 that are held in 270 regions should be the concern of all the nation's children to prevent vote buying and bribery. Because this is where corruption will flourish," said Firli in his written statement to reporters, Wednesday, December 9.

Furthermore, the former Deputy for Corruption Eradication of the Corruption Eradication Commission said that his party had conducted outreach to election organizers, participants and voters to carry out Pilkada with integrity. In these activities, he said, the anti-corruption commission always reminded the principles of eradicating corruption in Pilkada.

One of the rules that must not be violated is to accept or give bribes. "Where the election organizers and state officials at the central and regional levels are very vulnerable to being involved in the vortex of bribery," he said.

Firli then explained his data. According to him, the most corruption cases handled by the KPK were bribery cases and in practice the most cases occurred during regional head elections.

"From the 2018 data, when I served as Deputy for Corruption Eradication of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the KPK conducted 30 times OTT with 122 suspects and 22 regional heads, related to the criminal act of corruption in the form of bribery," he said.

"In less than a year controlling the KPK, we have also conducted at least 8 OTT cases of corruption in the practice of bribery, involving several state officials at the central and regional levels," added Firli.

Reflecting on this, Firli then invited all parties to avoid the practice of rasuah. Moreover, the Pilkada this time was held to coincide with Hakordia.

He also emphasized that his party would not hesitate to take action against corruption perpetrators even though the KPK would first carry out a prevention program. If in the future there are still cases of corruption, said Firli, then the anti-graft commission will take firm action because this corruption poses a danger in society.

"Lastly, I remind all of us, that corruption is not only a crime that is detrimental to the country's finances or economy. However, corruption is a crime against humanity in which many countries fail to realize their goals and duties, especially for the people," he concluded.