IT is not easy to analyze ‘money politics’ in local polls—whether it’s to elect the village chief, a regent, a governor or even a president. ‘Money politics’ are much like ghosts: they are here and they are not. Many people believe they actually exist, particularly those who have been victimized. But there are many ways to turn the existing ones into non-existent ones, by eliminating tracks or whatever evidence there may be.

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