TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The questioning of two Democrat Party leaders, Jero Wacik and Sutan Bhatoegana, by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the alleged bribery case against former head of the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) Rudi Rubiandini will harm the party.
"If the KPK establishes Jero Wacik and Sutan Bhatoegana as graft suspects in the SKK Migas graft scandal, it would be a severe blow amidst Democrat's efforts to restore its electability," Umar Bakrie, executive director of the National Survey Institute, said yesterday.
Energy Minister Jero Wacik, who is the secretary of Democrat's High Council, was questioned by KPK investigators Tuesday as a witness to Rudi and his golf instructor Deviardi. After the examination, Jero said he was asked to explain his duties as head of the SKK Migas' supervisory commission.
According to Umar, as the ruling party the Democrat actually has a chance to bag the majority vote as it benefits from a number of facilities. But with its cadres being implicated in the SKK Migas scandal, things are looking downhill.
Umar says that if next year's election happens honestly, fairly and transparently, the Democrat will have difficulties bagging 10 percent votes--especially if there are new corruption cases.
Philips J. Vermonte from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that as the ruling party Democrat gets the most expose when implicated in corruption.
"Because the incumbent holds power, the effect is much larger than when non-incumbent party cadres are implicated in the case," said Philips.
Democrat's deputy chairman Marzuki Alie is confident that the SKK Migas bribery scandal will not harm the lower the party's electability further. He believes that the public understands that the graft implicates individuals--not the entire party.
"There is no institutional corruption. Corruption is personal," Marzuki asserted.
KHAIRUL ANAM | MUHAMMAD MUHYIDDIN | MARTHA THERTINA | EFRI R
