REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Presidium Chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectual Association Prof Nanat Fatah Natsir has supported the Home Affairs Minister's proposal to allocate Rp1 trillion in the State Budget for political parties.
"The Home Affairs Minister's proposal is good and should be supported to improve the quality of political parties and candidates for regional heads. It could also mitigate corruption in the long term," Nanat Fatah Natsir said here Monday (9/3).
Most political parties do not have adequate funds for cadre trainings and campaigns, so some politicians involve in corruption to make money that can finance their party activities.
"I will also support plan (if there is one) to allocate funds for the campaign activities of candidates for regional heads. Hopefully, quality candidates, even if they are not rich, will come forward as they will not be required to return their campaign funds," he stated.
Earlier, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo proposed to allocate Rp1 trillion in the State Budget for strengthening democracy and transparency.
"This is necessary because in a democratic state, political parties are the platforms for recruiting national leaders. However, there should be strict transparent control over political parties' spending," he added.
Political parties need funds to finance their campaign activities, trainings for cadres, and operational programs.
Their spending will be closely supervised and parties misusing funds will face severe sanctions, the Minister noted.
The Indonesian Government has decided to hold simultaneous regional elections in September 2015 instead of December 2015 as planned previously.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) recently signed the laws on the regional elections of provincial governors, district heads, and city mayors.
Jokowi has issued instructions to hold simultaneous regional elections this year, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhi Purdijatno stated on Feb. 10.
Indonesia will organize simultaneous regional elections in 204 districts and municipalities in 2015 and in 304 districts and municipalities next year.
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