JAKARTA - INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's corruption-fighting credentials were on the line on Wednesday after his son was embroiled in vote-buying allegations on the eve of elections.
Vote-buying, or 'money politics' as it is euphemistically known here, is rampant in the world's third-largest democracy as it heads to the polls for general elections on Thursday.
Vote-buying or defamation?
GERINDA Party chairman Suhardi said police should be investigating the vote-buying allegations rather than the whistle-blowers.
'Gerinda rejects any allegation that we are smearing Edhie's name,' he told AFP.
Dr Yudhoyono, who is hoping to be re-elected to a second five-year term in presidential polls in July, has campaigned as a tough anti-corruption crusader in a country that ranks among the most venal in the world.
But anti-graft activists have questioned the Democratic Party chief's sincerity after police announced they were probing whistle-blowers who had accused his candidate son, Edhie Baskoro, 27, of buying votes.
Authorities initially said they were investigating allegations that Mr Baskoro was handing out 10,000 rupiah (S$1.30) notes to potential voters at a campaign rally, allegations vehemently denied by Democratic Party officials.
But at a press conference late on Tuesday police said Mr Baskoro had been cleared of suspicion and named several people, including a rival party official and journalists, as suspects for allegedly defaming the president's son.
Three media groups - Okezone.com news website, The Jakarta Globe English-language daily and Harian Bangsa newspaper - were accused of spreading lies against Mr Baskoro, along with Gerindra Party legislative candidate Naziri, who filed the initial complaint against him with election authorities.
Police later withdrew the allegations against the media.
'Technically, they are only witnesses,' national police chief Bambang Hendarso told reporters. -- AFP
