Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie over the weekend defended
the proposal that each lawmaker be provided
with Rp 15 billion ($1.6 million) to fund projects in
their constituency as answering the prayers of poor communities
and those in regions left behind by development.
Analysts and political observers have been scathing in their criticism of a proposal floated by the Golkar Party that each lawmaker be provided with Rp 15 billion ($1.6 million) to fund development projects in their constituencies.
Sebastian Salang, chairman of Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said the plan had a weak legal foundation, particularly in terms of the mechanics of implementation.
“The proposal for the fund is a political investment ahead of party elections,” he said.
Abdullah Dahlan, a coordinator at Indonesia Corruption Watch, said that the proposal was in breach of the law as it was the government’s role, not legislators’, to determine budget allocations.
“It means that the House wants to steal the role of the government in managing the budget,” Abdullah said.
Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie over the weekend defended the proposal as answering the prayers of poor communities and those in regions left behind by development.
“Most of our cadres want attention to be focused on these aspirations,” he said on Saturday. “I hope this can be understood.”
Aburizal said legislators needed to be able to show people across the nation that democracy could bring about welfare for them, otherwise they would seek another political system.
“People will say why should we remain in a democracy. Better go back to the past,” Aburizal said.
Golkar secretary general Idrus Marham denied that the proposal was part of a grand scheme by his party to use the state budget to gain sympathy from voters ahead of the 2014 polls.
“What we do is for the nation. It has nothing to do with the presidential elections,” Idrus insisted.
Abdullah dismissed the Rp 8.4 trillion fund as “a waste of the state budget. It only serves the need of the House to maintain their image in election regions and increase their popularity using the budget,” he said.
Experience showed that such funds were prone to abuse, Abdullah said.
“The budget itself is subject to the person who disburses the money for his own political interest. In principle, the state budget should be for the interest of people, not political interests.”
Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) political analyst Burhanuddin Muhtadi said that the idea had won support from all the House’s factions, including the ruling Democratic Party.
“That is why I call this proposal the result of evil plotting by all House factions members, and not simply Golkar,” he said.
However, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Arif Wibowo said he was opposed to the proposal.
“The role of legislators must be strengthened and more defined in regard to job description, role and functions,” he said.
Arif said that if the idea were to provide more equitable development distribution across the country, what needed to be done was to revise existing regulations in relation to the allocation of central and regional budgets.
The finance minister has already voiced his opposition to the plan.
Golkar lawmaker Harry Azhar Azis, who chairs the House’s budget council, threatened delaying tactics if the proposal were rejected.
“If the attitude of the government is like that, any talks with the government could reach a deadlock, including the 2011 state budget plan.”
