Jakarta – Money politics is difficult to eradicate in Indonesia, but it is not appropriate to blame the poor for receiving money from campaigning parties, a political expert says.

"For poor people, money is far more 'real' than just jargon or sweet talk," political observer Ari Sujito of Gadjah Mada University said Thursday during a talkshow about the upcoming presidentials elections.

"So, candidates should translate their jargon into a more 'acceptable' language, especially for the poor," he added.

Money politics would likely be around for many years to come, Ari said. "As long as campaign language does not touch the grassroots, the poor will prefer money," he said.

"We should blame the politicians [for money politics], not the poor." (bbs)