TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Incumbent legislative candidates, whose names were mentioned in corruption trials or were involved in the movement to weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), have been re-elected back to sit at the House of Representatives (DPR).
Two of them are Golkar members from East Nusa Tenggara, Setya Novanto and Melchias Markus Mekeng. Setya was mentioned by a witness, Lukman Abbas, during the National Games (PON) graft case in Pekanbaru Corruption Court. Melchias was mentioned in regional infrastructure adjustment budget allocation case. However, both denied the allegations.
Herman Hery, another candidate who got re-elected is also a DPR member who was allegedly involved in the driving simulator case as mentioned by witness Adj. Sr. Comr. Thedy Rusmawan at the trial. Herman who received 115,000 votes disputed his involvement in the case.
A Golkar politican, Asis Syamsuddin, from Central Lampung District who was reported to have accepted funds from a suspect in the Palembang athletes' village case. "Insya Allah [God willing], Golkar will get two seats from Lampung II [district]," said Aziz who claimed that he did not know anything about the allegation.
Another name that is often associated with the Hambalang case and reelected again is Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, a Democrat Party politician. He won in East Java VII with 102,000 votes from Pacitan, his father's, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, hometown. The number did not include the votes from Ngawi, Magetan, Ponorogo and Trenggalek. "He received so many votes," said Frend Mashudi, Edhie's campaigning team member.
KPK Deputy Chairman Zulkarnain is worried that the presence of those incumbents can threaten corruption eradication efforts for the next five years. "We must increase the supervision of legislation process," Zulkarnain told Tempo.
TIM TEMPO
