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Budget issues may delay some elections, says KPU
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has extended the deadline to June 3 for regions to settle their budget allocations for Decemberâs concurrent regional elections, after which regions that still have budget issues must postpone their elections to 2017, KPU commissioners have said
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he General Elections Commission (KPU) has extended the deadline to June 3 for regions to settle their budget allocations for December's concurrent regional elections, after which regions that still have budget issues must postpone their elections to 2017, KPU commissioners have said.
'All provinces, regencies and municipalities slated to hold concurrent elections this year must have settled all budget-related issues by June 3, meaning that by then, the Regional General Elections Commissions [KPUDs] must ensure the required funds have been properly allocated and are ready to be disbursed,' KPU commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiansyah said on Tuesday.
If the regions failed to meet the deadline, he added, the KPUDs would be required to postpone the elections to the next concurrent election batch in 2017.
'All the phases must begin soon and we cannot wait any longer,' he said.
As many as 269 provinces, regencies and municipalities, or half of the total number in the country, are slated to concurrently hold regional elections in December. It will be the first time in Indonesia's history that citizens in hundreds of regions elect their governors, regents and mayors concurrently.
The system has been deemed a breakthrough that can save time and money.
As of Tuesday, 15 of the regions were yet to settle the budget allocations. Among them were Sula regency in North Maluku, Pangkajene Islands regency and Barru regency in South Sulawesi, West Sumba regency in East Nusa Tenggara, as well as West Pesisir regency in Lampung.
The Regional Elections Law stipulates that elections will be funded mainly by local budgets, with the state budget only used for the operation of the central KPU.
Previously, the KPU's other commissioner, Arief Budiman, said that many Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs) had only approved less than 70 percent of the allocations proposed by KPUDs.
'Some regions have less than 50 percent. [With that money], paying the salaries [for election workers] will not be enough, let alone buying logistics for the balloting,' said Arief. (++++)
