KPU seeks Rp 3.45 trillion for elections<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) reported to the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) on Tuesday its plan to increase the budget
\nfor general elections in 2004 from Rp 2.9 trillion (US$363
\nmillion) to Rp 3.45 trillion (US$431.25 million).<\/p>\n
The budget would finance both legislative and presidential
\nelections. The legislative election is scheduled to take place on
\nApril 5, while the two-phase presidential election would be held
\nbetween June and August, 2004.<\/p>\n
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said the additional funds
\nwould be used for ballots, ballot boxes, polling station
\ninstallations, honorariums for staff, and the dissemination of
\ninformation to the public.<\/p>\n
Based on Election Law No. 12\/2003, the number of voters at
\neach polling station should not exceed 300 people. With an
\nestimated 130 million voters, KPU needs to set up more than
\n438,000 election booths.<\/p>\n
The commission estimated that the two-round presidential
\nelections would cost around Rp 800 billion, while printing
\nballots would cost up to Rp 500 billion.<\/p>\n
According to Ramlan, each polling station will have five
\npolling booths to speed up voting.<\/p>\n
\"We estimate that voting at each polling station will end
\nwithin six hours,\" Ramlan told the press after attending a
\nclosed-door meeting with the House of Representatives's
\nCommission II for legal and home affairs.<\/p>\n
The increase to the election budget was based on the
\nassumption that 50 parties would contest the general elections.<\/p>\n
According to that estimated, the ballot will be five pages
\nwith each page featuring the logos of ten political parties and
\nnames of candidates.<\/p>\n
KPU also allocated funds for disseminating information about
\nthe newly-adopted electoral system.<\/p>\n
At the national level, KPU allocated Rp 75 billion to educate
\npeople about the system and for the dissemination of information
\nat the provincial and regental levels KPU allocated Rp 75 billion
\nand Rp 25 billion respectively.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said he hoped the provincial and regional
\nadministrations would help finance the cost of disseminating the
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
Responding to the demand, deputy chairman of House Commission
\nII Abdul Rachman Gaffar promised to help KPU get the funding for
\nthe sake of fair elections.<\/p>\n
\"We of course will ask the budget committee to approve that
\nproposal. If the elections can not take place due to financial
\nproblems, there will be serious problems,\" Gaffar added.<\/p>\n
The support of the legislators for the election budget was not
\nwithout conditions. Gaffar said he demanded KPU officials limit
\nadministrative costs and reduce travel expenses.<\/p>\n
He also warned KPU members not to abuse their power and take
\npart in bidding for projects that supply or print ballots.<\/p>\n
Gaffar, a legislator from the Military\/Police faction, said
\nthat the budget for security for the general elections had not
\nbeen submitted to the House.<\/p>\n
The security budget, Gaffar said, will depend on whether the
\nelections of legislative members and the elections of the
\npresident and vice president are held simultaneously or not.<\/p>",
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