Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – After spending lavishly on opening its presidential convention in September, the Democratic Party's (PD) coffers appear to be spent as it attempts to pay for the event.
Effendi Ghazali, a political communication expert and a convention committee member, confirmed on Tuesday that the convention was running low on budget.
"From what I've heard, the budget for the convention has become a problem lately," said Effendi, who is one of the committee's 17 members.
The committee's treasurer, Andi Timo Pangeran, said the whole convention process would require about Rp 50 billion (US$4.15 million).
A significant portion of the funds would be used to pay for televised debates by candidates, aired on national television.
Effendi, however, denied the budget problem had anything to do with the unraveling of numerous graft cases involving party members, such as former Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) chief Rudi Rubiandini.
"I still believe the funding for this convention has not come from illicit sources. I, as well as other committee members, have pledged to resign if we find donations from outside of the party have not been publicly declared," he said.
Following the arrest of Rudi on bribery allegations, more details have emerged about alleged illicit practices involving PD politicians.
Effendi Saman, the lawyer for Deviardi, a golf trainer and aide to Rudi, said $400,000 in bribes paid to Rudi were supposed to be used to "finance the party's activities" and to pay for "holiday stipends" for members of the House of Representatives' Commission VII, which oversees energy.
The commission is chaired by senior politician and one of the PD's founders, Sutan Bhatoegana.
Rudi and Deviardi were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in August, about a month before the convention officially kicked off.
Effendi Saman said the public could be forgiven for thinking that some of the illicit money received by Rudi had been earmarked for paying for the convention.
"The $200,000 in cash discovered by KPK investigators at Waryono's office must have been known by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik. Jero is an important figure in the Democratic Party," he said.
The lawyer was referring to Waryono Karno, the ministry's secretary-general. The dollars found in his office had the same serial number prefix with the money handed over to Rudi via Deviardi when they were arrested by KPK investigators.
Effendi, however, acknowledged Deviardi had never been told that the illicit money had anything to do with the convention.
"My client was only aware of the real purpose of the money after he was arrested," he said.
Sutan denied he received "holiday stipends" from Rudi. Jero also claimed he had nothing to do with the money in Waryono's office.
Senior PD lawmaker Hayono Isman, one of the convention's participants, suggested the committee had struggled to find money as the source of the money had to be legal.
"It's not easy to find money from that kind of source," he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Initiated in May by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the party's chairman, the convention officially kicked off on Sept. 15 and will run through to April next year.
Many praised the idea as the first political party presidential convention that involved the public in the country's history, but analysts suggested it was a ploy to legitimize the nomination of Gen. (ret.) Pramono Eddhie Wibowo, the brother of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.