KPUD receives Rp 258 b for Jakarta gubernatorial elections

Member of the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) Jamaluddin Hasyim said the commission has been granted Rp 258 billion (US$28.7 million) to organize the upcoming gubernatorial elections.

“We have set the budget for various activities. We are now in the middle of promoting the event,” Jamaluddin told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said the KPUD had also planned to organize several pop culture events to attract as many eligible voters as possible, especially first time voters, to participate in the upcoming elections.

“Besides, right now we will have the independent candidates on stage. Hopefully it could reignite people’s enthusiasm to take part,” he said.

According to the KPUD’s preliminary estimation, as many as 7.5 million people are registered as eligible voters for the elections, increasing from 2007’s 5.7 million voters.

To date, only the independent ticket of Faisal Basri and Biem Benyamin had openly announced candidacy. The pair has already passed the administrative requirements of collecting more than 400,000 Jakarta ID cards to show that they have followers.