APSN Banner

Commission announces wealth of presidential candidates

Source
Channel News Asia - June 4, 2004

Jakarta – An Indonesian anti-corruption commission has announced the wealth of five pairs of candidates running for next month's presidential election, reports said.

The richest among the 10 is vice-presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla with total wealth of 122.7 billion rupiah (13 million dollars) plus 14,928 dollars, according to figures announced by the Commission for the Eradication of Corruption and published in newspapers.

Some figures are for this year and some for 2001. They include the value of land, houses and vehicles.

Kalla, a businessman who owns companies in his home province of South Sulawesi, is the vice-presidential candidate for the new Democrat party alongside frontrunner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Yudhoyono's wealth is put at 4.7 billion rupiah.

Amien Rais, the national assembly chief, is the poorest candidate with assets of 867.9 million rupiah in 2001.

Incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri had total wealth of 59.8 billion rupiah in 2001 while her running mate Hasyim Muzadi, a Muslim cleric, has 7.2 billion rupiah.

Rais's running mate Siswono Yudhohusodo, a former cabinet minister, is the second richest with 74.8 billion rupiah in 2001 plus 81,000 dollars.

Former armed forces chief Wiranto, running for president on a ticket from the largest party Golkar, has 46.2 billion rupiah. Officials are required to declare their wealth as part of efforts to stamp out graft in Indonesia, one of the world's most corruption-prone countries.

Indonesian civil servants and other public officials are poorly paid but some enjoy lavish lifestyles.

Country