LIPI, KPK will Launch Political Party Integrity System

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Political observer at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Syamsuddin Haris said that his institution and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) would launch a political party integrity system in order to assess the integrity and performance of political parties.

“To measure political parties` ethical standards. And it will be launched in December,” Syamsuddin said in Jakarta, Saturday, September 15.

Syamsuddin said that the integrity of a political party would be measured based on ethical standards, internal democracy, regeneration system, political recruitment system, and party's financial management. He hopes, through the system, there will be no more corrupt politicians.

According to Syamsuddin, the system will be made to answer the demands of the House members against the KPK regarding the prevention of corruption. It aims to prevent corruption from the upstream, namely political parties. Because the political parties have the responsibility and obligation to select the public officials.

As for the mechanism of the ethical implementation system, the KPK and LIPI are currently building tools of assessment. Syamsuddin viewed the ethical conditions of political parties were very acute.

He said that political parties have ethical audit institutions but it is not independent. “Politicians easily move from one party to another. Such the act is not ethical at all,” said Syamsuddin.

Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Almas Sjafrina supports the initiation by LIPI and the KPK. According to Almas, there has been no instrument to assess the performance of political parties.

“The idea initiated by the KPK and LIPI is important so that the public knows the performance of political parties,” Almas said.

FRISKI RIANA