Campaign launched against 'rotten' politician

Suara Indonesia News - A number of non-governmental organizations in Bandung announced
Monday an "anti-rotten" politician campaign, asking people not
to vote for politicians who had been certified as bad in the
2009 general election.

The self-named Coalition of Communities Against Rotten
Politicians (Mampus) issued criteria for politicians they would
consider to qualify.

These criteria included records of graft offenses, violations of
human rights, or a lack of gender sensitivity (i.e. domestic
violence or sexual harassment).

Others included damaging the environment, committing immoral
acts, or harassing tribal affiliations, religious, racial and/or
societal groups. "We will conduct our verification (of candidates) for two months
while compiling public opinion," coalition spokesman Surya
Wijaya said during the campaign launch Monday at Babakan
Siliwangi.

Already on the list of rotten politicians are 100 councilors of
West Java legislative council from the 1999-2004 period who
allegedly misused Rp 33 billion (US$3.54 million) in the
provincial budget (for land acquisition).

The coalition is also to list a number of councilors in the
current Bandung municipal legislature who allegedly eased the
way for Mayor Dada Rosada's to revise a spatial planning
regulation (turning a conservation area into a housing zone),
Surya said.

There are a total 661 and 1,008 legislature candidates for the
West Java provincial and Bandung municipal legislatures
respectively, proposed by the 38 contending political parties
here.

The group, Surya said, will also verify West Java legislature
candidates eyeing seats in the (national) House of
Representatives.

Among the rotten candidates for this category, Surya said, are
all members of the House of Representatives' Commission IX for
the 1999-2004 period. This group allegedly received Rp 21.6
billion from the Bank of Indonesia in a move to smooth the
approval of a bill on the central bank.

Surya said, "We will not stop at just announcing their names,
but we will also go to their respective electoral regions and
let people know they had better not vote for them."

Surya also said more than 10 lawyers had been prepared by the
coalition to deal with any possible lawsuits filed in response
to the announcement and public advocacy it will make.
Participating NGOs include Bandung Legal Aid Institute (LBH),
Indonesian Forum for the Environment's (Walhi) West Java office,
Priangan Land Environmental Observer Board (DPKLTS), the
Alliance of Agrarian Reform (AGRA) and Kalyanamandira. (Admin4)

Source: The Jakarta Post