Home Minister Tito Karnavian proposed a total of Rp 1.4 trillion (US$98.78 million) in extra funding for the General Elections Commission (KPU), the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) and at least 204 of 270 regions across Indonesia that are set to hold elections in December.

“The central [election organizers] need Rp 391 billion and the regional ones need Rp 1.02 trillion. Therefore, we need Rp 1.4 trillion in extra budget funds,” Tito said on Thursday in a virtual hearing with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and House of Representatives Commission II, which oversees home affairs.

Tito said the budget allocations were Rp 908.4 billion for regional KPU branches, Rp 76.36 billion for the Bawaslu branches and Rp 35.78 billion for the election security budget, while the remaining Rp 391 billion would be allocated to the central KPU, Bawaslu and DKPP.

“The amount could increase once the KPU issues its regulation on the COVID-19 health protocol for the regional elections. They might need to add more equipment later,” he said.

During the meeting, the KPU proposed Rp 4.7 trillion in extra budget funds, which included allocations for implementing health protocols and an increase in the number of polling stations due to the physical distancing requirement.

“If we make it more efficient, we could reduce the proposed amount by Rp 641 billion, but the branches would have to approve this first,” KPU chairman Arief Budiman said.

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