Indonesian president's son in vote-buying row

[Turborama]

Source: AFP

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's corruption-fighting credentials were on the line 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 Thursday.

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.

Read more: http://news.id.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3083864

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Comment brought over from the video forum...

In the world's 3rd largest democracy, votes are being bought. My wife told me the other day that there's been what could described as vote auctions going on and the story about the president's son being investigated for vote selling is just the tip of a gigantic iceberg.

Vote buying is also discussed here, 6 minutes 25 seconds in:

Al Jazeera English: 101 East - Testing democracy in Indonesia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSe-m7rQ3F0&NR=1