What Is Money Politics? Know Understanding, Types And Criminal Sanctions That Waiting For Money Politics Perpetrators

Illustration of money politics (Pixabay)

YOGYAKARTA Money politics is a term used to refer to political corruption, clientelism, and vote purchases.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) himself has asked the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) to supervise and take action against money politics that often occurs during the General Election (Pemilu).

"To overcome money politics. This is careful. There are many incidents regarding this and money politics has become a disease for every election, there must be," Jokowi said at the Bawaslu Consolidation event, Saturday, December 17, launching VOI.

Jokowi said he knew that the politics of money was still happening. Moreover, he has participated in general elections from regional heads to the president.

"If someone says, 'no, sir. It's gone'. I'm on the field every day," said Jokowi

"I've participated in the Pilkada, Pilwalkot twice. I've participated in the gubernatorial election twice because of two rounds, the presidential election twice. So if anyone denies that there is no (money politics, ed) I tell you what it is, there is," he said again,

Jokowi reminded Bawaslu to put his eyes on the political practice of this money. Do not let, only a few are sanctioned even though there are many perpetrators.

Quoted from the Central Java Bawaslu page, Tuesday, December 20, 2022, money politics is an attempt to bribe voters by providing money or services so that voter voting preferences can be given to bribers.

According to Indra Ismawan in Money Politics: The influence of Money in the election, money politics is an effort to influence other people's behavior by using certain rewards.

Money politics is also defined as an act of buying and selling votes in the political process and power. This action can occur within a wide range, starting from the Village Head Election (Pilkades) to the Presidential Election (Pilpres).

Meanwhile, according to Juliansyah (2007), money politics is an attempt to influence others by using material rewards or it can also be interpreted as buying and selling votes in the political process and power and the act of distributing money either privately owned or party to influence voters.

According to the Chairman of the Indonesian Bawaslu, Rahmat Bagja, the politics of money in the election has many types, not only about buying and selling votes.

Bagja said, there are things that can be classified as money politics but the crime is different. For example, the use of state facilities for personal gain for regional head candidates or legislative candidates in electoral relations, was met from the official website of the Indonesian Bawaslu.

"In my opinion, it can still be categorized as money politics, but the crime is different," said Bagja

He added that other things that can be categorized as money politics are the provision of road facilities, as well as the provision of bridge facilities that use state budgets for personal gain.

Criminal Threats Waiting for Money Political Actors

There are several articles that regulate criminal sanctions for money political actors.

In Article 515 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, it is stated:

Everyone who deliberately promises or gives money or other material to voters so as not to exercise their voting rights or choose certain election participants or exercise their voting rights in certain ways so that their ballots are invalid, shall be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of 3 years and a maximum fine of 36 million.

Furthermore, Article 523 (1) states:

Every election implementer, participant, and/or campaign team who deliberately promises or provides money or other materials in return to the participants of the direct or indirect election campaign as referred to in article 280 paragraph (1) letter j shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of 2 (two) years and a maximum fine of Rp. 24,000,000 (twenty-four million rupiah).

Paragraph (2) reads:

Every executor, participant and/or election campaign team who deliberately promises or provides cash or other material in return to voters directly or indirectly as referred to in article 278 paragraph (2) shall be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of 4 (four) years and a maximum fine of IDR 48,000,000 (fourty-eight million rupiah).

Finally, Article 523 Paragraph (3) of the Law is said to be:

Everyone who deliberately promises or gives money or other material to voters not to exercise their voting rights, or chooses certain election participants will be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of 3 (three) years and a maximum fine of Rp. 36,000,000 (twenty-six million rupiah).

That's the information about what money politics is. Hopefully it will be useful!