KPU's request for Rp 250b additional fund baseless, legislator says

Antara , Jakarta | Sun, 07/06/2008 3:35 PM | National

A request for Rp 250 billion (about US$27 billion) in additional funds made by the General Elections Commission (KPU) to cover a four-day postponement of next year's general election
is baseless, a lawmaker says.

"In the 2004 general election, the budget was a little bit big on account of short preparation and limited time for distributing the logistics, but it was still logical," Antara newswire quoted
House of Representatives member Andi Yuliani Paris as saying on Sunday.

Despite rescheduling next year's general election to April 9 from April 5, the KPU can still conduct the logistics using the original budget, she said.

"Again, the Rp 250 billion in additional funds requested by the KPU is totally groundless, as a shift of about four days will not affect the above mentioned items," said Andi.

She said Rp 250 billion was too large a fund to be justified by the date change, as no additional activities would be carried out in the extended four-day period leading to the election, nor would paper printing costs be affected.

"Hence, I warn the secretary general of the KPU not to ask for additional funds just on account of their fear of not being able to stage the general election," she said. (**)

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