Paul Somohardjo, the chairman of the Pertjajah Luhur (PL) party, has raised concerns about the possibility of bribery among elected assembly members after the 2025 elections. He is calling for stricter enforcement of the Recall Act to prevent this from happening. According to Somohardjo, with the introduction of the system of national proportionality, party discipline will come under even greater pressure than before.
The veteran politician believes that voters will not necessarily vote for individuals but for the party as a whole. In a discussion with some journalists, the PL leader pointed out that bribery of politicians was evident in 1996 and 2015, with the PL party being the victim on both occasions. Somohardjo is worried that the widespread circulation of illicit funds in the country will find its way into political parties.
Criminals are unable to deposit their money in banks because they have to prove the source of those funds. How does Somohardjo plan to address this issue? He intends to engage with all political parties to amend and repeal the 2016 Recall Act. The goal is to reinstate the 2005 Recall Act, which was submitted for approval by the previous government.
Somohardjo emphasizes that illicit funds should not take precedence over the people’s interests. He believes that the law can play a significant role in preventing this. Defectors should immediately relinquish their seats to the successors on the list. They should not be allowed to take the seat with them.
The chairman maintains that it is the party that nominates a candidate, so the individual cannot claim ownership of the seat. Those who attempt to offer large sums of money should ultimately realize that it is a lost cause, as the seat remains with the party, according to Somohardjo.