KPU to disburse funds to regions next Tuesday<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) promised on Tuesday to
\nbegin disbursing funds for the general election to all of the
\ncountry's provinces, regencies and municipalities by next Monday.<\/p>\n
KPU secretary Safder Yusaac said on Tuesday that Rp 98.46
\nbillion (US$11.06 million) had been channeled to the KPU from the
\nstate budget. The money will be used to finance the operations of
\nthe regional elections commissions or KPUDs.<\/p>\n
\"The amount (that will be disbursed) varies for each province,
\nregency and municipality according to size, population and access
\nto transportation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that if the money disbursed by the KPU proved
\ninsufficient to finance the operations of a KPUD, the additional
\nmoney would have to come from the budget of the concerned region.<\/p>\n
\"For example, we have budgeted enough money so each province
\ncan purchase one operational car and two operational motorcycles.<\/p>\n
\"If a province needs an additional car, the money will have to
\ncome from the regional budget,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yusaac said the commission also would enclose directives on
\nregulating the fund disbursement.<\/p>\n
According to the KPU, the disbursed funds will cover the
\nsalary of KPUD staff members, equipment and utility costs,
\ntransportation and other expenses.<\/p>\n
Many regional administrations had complained that they had yet
\nto receive funding for the KPUDs, saying that they were being
\nforced to use their regional budgets to cover the operational
\ncosts of the commissions.<\/p>\n
\"There is a good possibility that the funds for the regional
\nKPUDs will not be sufficient to cover all of the operational
\ncosts. Therefore, we will ask the regional administrations to use
\ntheir budgets to complement the state budget,\" Yusaac said.<\/p>\n
East Java is due to receive the most money from the KPU with
\nRp 7.73 billion, followed by Central Java with Rp 7.11 billion
\nand Papua with Rp 6.61 billion.<\/p>\n
The provinces that will receive the least amount of money are
\nYogyakarta with Rp 1.25 billion, Gorontalo with Rp 1.32 billion
\nand Jakarta with Rp 1.34 billion.<\/p>\n
The KPU is preparing to organize Indonesia's first ever direct
\nelections, with the general election on April 5, 2004, followed
\nby the two-phased presidential election between June and August
\nof the same year.<\/p>\n
In other matters, the KPU began registering candidates for a
\nsupervisory committee on Tuesday, with 190 people displaying an
\ninterest in joining the committee.<\/p>\n
\"From that number, some 90 people are community members, 86
\nare academics and 14 are members of the press,\" said Aminsyah, a
\nregistration official.<\/p>\n
The supervisory committee will monitor the general election
\nduring every step of the process, including the ballot counting.<\/p>\n
The KPU will appoint nine people to the central supervisory
\ncommittee. The appointees will be police officers, attorneys,
\nacademics, journalists and community members.<\/p>\n
To be appointed to the supervisory committee a person must be
\nat least 27 years old, understand the mechanisms of the general
\nelection and not be a member of any political party.<\/p>\n
The KPU plans to screen and elect members of the supervisory
\ncommittee at the central level on April 19, the provincial level
\non May 13, the regency and municipal level on June 5, and the
\ndistrict level on June 20.<\/p>\n
Among those who have registered as candidates for the
\nsupervisory committee are political analysts Fachri Ali and Laode
\nIda, and former KPU member Rasyidi.<\/p>",
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