Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – The public considers vote-buying a normal phenomenon, the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) found ahead of Thursday's East Java gubernatorial election.
"Out of 440 respondents, 10.5 percent consider money politics normal and 30.9 percent consider it quite normal," LSI research director Arman Salam told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He also said that 26.8 percent of respondents considered the practice very influential while 38.9 percent thought it was influential in garnering votes. "This means that the larger part of the public believes there will be money politics in the gubernatorial election," he added.
Four candidates will vie on Thursday for the votes of 30.03 million eligible voters.
Incumbents Soekarwo and Saifullah Yusuf (KarSa) are supported by 10 major parties, including the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party, and 22 smaller parties, while Eggi Sudjana and M. Sihat (Beres) are running on an independent ticket.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is the only party singularly supporting a ticket – Bambang Dwi Hartono and Said Abdullah (Jempol) – while the National Awakening Party (PKB) and seven smaller parties back Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Herman S Sumawiredja (Berkah).
Supporters of each candidate, however, have rejected the practice of vote-buying.
PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar, for example, has instructed the Berkah campaign team to remain vigilant against any irregularities including vote-buying at all polling stations.
Meanwhile, Eggi is offering a Rp 5 million (US$460) reward for anyone who gets recorded proof of any irregularities, including vote-buying.
"The public always asks me for a lot wherever I go," he said. "I don't believe it is a healthy practice and is evidence that political education is not working as it should."
East Java Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) member Sri Sugeng Pujiatmiko said many campaign banners were still on display during the current cooling-off period. "We have requested that all banners and other paraphernalia be taken down," she said.
She also revealed that not all ballots and other voting equipment had reached all 38 regencies and cities in the province. According to the schedule, she said, all ballots and equipment should have been distributed between July 15 and Aug. 13.
"The slow distribution of ballots and other equipment may disrupt the gubernatorial race," she said. "We have also found damaged ballots that have yet to be replaced by the East Java General Elections Commission [KPUD]."
Sri said her agency would coordinate with the Navy to help distribute ballots and other equipment to remote islands, such as Masalembu and Bawean, using naval helicopters.
The East Java Bawaslu is also questioning East Java KPUD chief Andry Dewanto Achmad over allegations of subjectivity. "Andry was questioned because he sent messages to 484 of his friends using BlackBerry messenger on Aug. 21 indicating his support for Khofifah," said Sri.
"He was also grilled about the printing of ballot papers listing four candidates even though the forms were printed on July 29, before the Khofifah-Herman pair was cleared to join the race."