R

egencies and cities in Central Java are ready to hold regional elections while some of those in Riau province are still facing border problems that will affect their voter numbers and funding.

Acting Riau governor Arsyadjuliandi '€œAndi'€ Rachman has assembled regents and mayors from across the province, asking them to resolve the border disputes before the elections scheduled for Dec. 9, in order to avoid appropriation of voters.

'€œNearly all the regions are involved in border disputes, so the regents and mayors must facilitate efforts to resolve the conflicts,'€ Andi said on Monday.

He cited a dispute to seize five villages on the border between Kampar and Rokan Hulu regencies, where both parties were always at loggerheads ahead of legislative elections.

'€œAlthough the local General Elections Commissions [KPUDs] have set the voter list, the problem will arise at the next election,'€ said Andi.

The simultaneous elections will be undertaken by nine of the 12 regencies and cities in Riau: Rokan Hilir, Kuantan Singingi, Pelalawan, Dumai, Bengkalis, Meranti Islands, Siak, Kampar and Indragiri Hulu.

Andi also emphasized that the regents and mayors were not allowed to transfer structural officials six months before an election.

'€œThere should not be pressure against the officials who are currently in office,'€ he said.

'€œEvery government element, from agency heads to village heads, must be neutral and should not take action that could benefit a certain party,'€ he added.

Besides those in Riau, some regencies in Papua have reportedly not yet allocated election funds.

Separately, Riau KPUD head Nurhamin said the simultaneous elections in Riau were still mired by funding issues.

So far, only four of the nine regencies and cities have made budget allocations and signed regional grant agreement documents as a form of their commitment to fund the elections. They are Rokan Hilir, Meranti Islands, Pelalawan and Indragiri Hulu regencies.

Meanwhile, Central Java KPUD head Joko Purnomo said that regencies which would hold the elections had expressed their readiness to fund their respective KPUDs.

'€œThe total amount of funds [required] for the elections in Central Java will be around Rp 450 billion,'€ said Joko.

The elections will be held in 21 regencies in Central Java, involving almost 70 percent of the 35 regencies and cities in the province, inhabited by around 33 million people.

Separately, the Purbalingga regency administration in Central Java has set aside Rp 22 billion for the elections.

The funds are derived from the 2015 regency budget, most of which will be managed by the local KPUD and relevant agencies, including by the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) in terms of security.

Based on data from the Purbalingga National and Political Unity Office (Kesbangpol), the KPUD will use Rp 19.062 billion of the Rp 22 billion, while the Purbalingga Elections Supervisory Committee will get Rp 2 billion, security will require Rp 481 million and election desk operational funds will total Rp 467.5 million.

Purbalingga Kesbangpol head Satya Giri Podo told journalists that the regency would take part in the first round of simultaneous elections, adding that the regency administration would form a committee called an election desk.