Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Nine of the nation's major political parties have ignored Indonesia Corruption Watch's demands to release their financial records, an ICW researcher said on Sunday.

The anti-graft group had sent letters to the parties demanding financial transparency amid the fallout from the graft scandal involving Muhammad Nazaruddin, a former treasurer of the ruling Democratic Party.

"None of them have replied," said Ade Irawan, an ICW researcher on political corruption.

"We really hope the political parties will open their financial reports because the law requires them to be transparent about how they manage their money." The Nazaruddin case should serve as a wake-up call for political parties, Ade said.

A study by the group found that political parties usually had three major financial sources: state funding, monthly dues from members and donations from private companies.

The donations were often abused, he said. "We believe parties often receive funds from illicit sources," Ade said. "If the political parties keep their financial records closed from the public, then we can never stop politicians from acting as budget brokers."

Witnesses in the ongoing graft trial involving the Southeast Asian Games athlete village have told the Anti-Corruption Court that Nazaruddin and his associate, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, received a "success fee" from Duta Graha Indah for helping the company secure a contract.

Nazaruddin, who remains at large, said in several TV interviews that party leaders, including chairman Anas Urbaningrum, had accepted ill-gotten money.

Eva Kusuma Sundari, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said a major hurdle in achieving transparency was that no law specifically required parties to open their complete financial records to the public.

If a greater share of a party's funding came from the state, she said, they might be compelled to publicly release their accounts.

In the 2009 election, each political party received Rp 108 (1.3 cents at the current rate) per vote it garnered. "Maybe at Rp 2,000 per vote, the money would be significant enough to fund the party's operation," she said.

Deputy Golkar treasurer Bambang Soesatyo said his party agreed with ICW that parties should open their finances. "Our party is open to that idea. That's why our financial report was audited by an accountant," Bambang said.

Asked when Golkar would release its report, he said: "Please be patient, we are preparing a complete report. We need more time to calculate everything."