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Jakarta: Illegal funding could allow the General Elections Commission (KPU) to terminate the winning presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2009 election, said Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, head of the special committee for the presidential election draft bill, yesterday (18/6).

This member of the Golkar Party faction said that the draft bill would provide time to prove the validity of funds before elected candidates are inaugurated.

This verification would be carried out by an independent auditor approved by KPU.

According to Ferry, the Working Committee at the House of Representatives (DPR) is now discussing the possibility of terminated candidates being replaced by the second placed candidates.

This is the same as the presidential mechanism.

“If the President resigns, he must be replaced by the Vice President,” said Ferry.

The draft bill forbids funding from international countries, corruption, gambling, and Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) funds.

Ignatius Mulyono, Deputy of the Working Committee, said that the audit report would first be announced to the general public.

Any violations would be reported to the Electoral Oversight Body (Bawaslu).

“Bawaslu will decide the violation and recommended sanction,” said this member of the Democrat Party faction.

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