KPU wants regions to cover electoral budget deficit

Lilian Budianto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 03/12/2008 11:56 AM  |  National

The General Elections Commission (KPU) asked for an additional Rp 1.61 trillion (US$17.9 million) for the 2009 polls on Tuesday, and said the excess could be covered by regional governments.

KPU Secretary General Suripto Bambang Setyadi told the House of Representatives' Commission II on home affairs its budget deficit was caused by the newly passed bill on elections, which requires the central government cover all expenses of the 2009 legislative and presidential elections.

The election bill creates new provinces, regencies and administrative areas, as well as election supervisory committees for the district level.

"We just discovered the deficit when we were composing detailed working maps. It turns out we excluded several budgetary posts when we submitted and presented our budget proposal to the Finance Ministry last year," Suripto said.

KPU had originally demanded a total of Rp 22.31 trillion over two years to administer both the legislative and presidential elections in 2009. For 2008, it had requested the government hand over Rp 6.66 trillion.

Suripto said the cost of the mandatory election watchdogs in district and polls committees would make up most of the additional spending.

"We only proposed Rp 113.35 billion for these two budget items because we thought they were the responsibility of the district administrations," he said.

The newly-passed election bill states the poll committee and election watchdogs at the district level are two separate bodies and requires the KPU to rent offices and provide stationary for each of them.

Sayuti Asyathri of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction criticized the KPU budget, saying it lacked details and was confusing.

"How can you say you miscalculated the cost of the election supervisory committee and the poll committee? It seems to me you have deliberately designed the budget in a way that we will have no choice but to accept your proposal," Sayuti said.

Mustokoweni Murdi of Golkar faction joined the chorus of criticism, saying the KPU had not reported leftover materials from the 2004 elections that were still being used.

Bambang said most of the equipment, such as ballot boxes, were in good condition but the KPU would still have to buy new ones.

"Some 81 percent of ballot boxes are still in good condition but they were designed for 300 ballot papers. As the new bill states a polling booth should now accommodate 500 voters, I think we need new ballot boxes," Bambang said.

Over 124 million voters cast ballots in the legislative elections and the two-round presidential elections in 2004, dubbed the most democratic elections ever held in the country.

But corruption cases in the procurement of election materials tarnished the democratic elections. Of the nine remaining KPU members for the 2002-2007 period, four of them were convicted of graft and sent to jail.

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