Weakening of the KPK : Corruptors’ fight-back manual

Weakening of the KPK : Corruptors’ fight-back manual Florian Vernaz  ;  Sustainability and political risk consultant; Technical advisor to Transparency International Indonesia

JAKARTA POST, 27 Januari 2015

                                                                                                                                     

                                                

The European Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) has developed a framework of analysis to describe strategies used to weaken anti-corruption agencies. The analysis looks at three particular aspects, namely legislative reform, restructurization and budgetary cuts. Such textbook methodology has been followed step-by-step by adversaries of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), starting with a legislative battle on the constitutionality of the Special Court for Corruption Crimes (Tipikor) in 2006, followed by restructuring of the Tipikor and pressure on the KPK’s budget and human resources. Last week Indonesia even witnessed the addition of a new chapter to this “corruptors’ fight-back manual” — criminalization — currently being “re-edited” after a first, unsuccessful, attempt in 2009. In 2009, the arrest of KPK commissioners Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah, under circumstances very similar to the recent arrest of current deputy Bambang Widjojanto, triggered unprecedented public mobilization through a movement known as “CICAK” (gecko). CICAK stands for Cinta Indonesia CintA KPK (Love Indonesia, Love the KPK), a pun referring to former police detective chief Susno Duadji’s now famous statement comparing KPK’s efforts to challenge him to a fight between a gecko and a crocodile. A formidable wave of popular support eventually led to charges against the deputies being dropped and contributed to the KPK’s popular image as the most credible law enforcement agency in the fight against corruption. The motto of the public campaign captures the essence of the KPK’s power: the people’s unconditional support for a symbol of national unity in the fight against corruption. Following the arrest of deputy Bambang last Friday, KPK chairman Abraham Samad was prompt to reiterate that “if you love Indonesia, you love the KPK”, as a call on the public to reaffirm its support for the commission. But the KPK’s opponents have learned from the past. They have learned that public support is the KPK’s best defense. They have learned that the gecko can triumph over the crocodile, if he is bolstered by popular support. They have understood that if you want to take the KPK down, you have to weaken its ties with the public; you have to dent its image of integrity and political independence. That is the rationale behind the series of political attacks launched against the KPK, accused of abuse of power and political intervention. Bambang’s arrest was merely one act of a denigration campaign against the KPK and its leaders. Chairman Abraham is being relentlessly accused of using the KPK to support his own political agenda. The rhetoric of KPK commissioners’ political motivations aims to weaken the unanimous public cohesion behind the KPK and crack its image as the nation’s most credible anti-corruption agency, independent from political interference. Looking back, a parallel can be drawn with the presidential campaign. Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the then extremely popular Jakarta governor, who was expected to win the presidential election by a landslide, saw his considerable margin melt like ice under the sun. Why? Because a well-crafted campaign systematically attacked his image as the candidate of the people, independent from the political establishment. The campaign introduced doubts about Jokowi’s real independence from political oligarchs. It focused on the idea that his undeniable qualities and achievements would become irrelevant if he had to bow to higher political interests. The popular, independent political outsider would then become just another player in the same old political game. The same mechanisms are in motion to weaken public support of the KPK. By presenting Abraham as a bitter former vice-preidential hopeful taking his revenge on the National Police deputy Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, also Megawati Soekarnoputri’s former adjutant, for his instrumental role in helping her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secure the vice presidency for Jusuf Kalla, Budi’s supporters are challenging the integrity of the KPK as an institution. If doubts emerge regarding the KPK’s political independence and integrity, a line of fracture will appear in public opinion, which will be exploited by the KPK’s opponents. President Jokowi’s statement last Friday, calling for all parties, notably the media, to remain “objective” and rely on legal processes to solve the conflict, was interpreted as a call to remain “passive” and refrain from demonstrating public support to the KPK. However, public mobilization in the past couple of days has demonstrated that people’s love for that little gecko isn’t “objective”, and that the flame is still very much alive. ●