KPU to increase budget by Rp 40b<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In accordance with its plan to hold the 2004 general election
\nahead of schedule, the General Elections Commission (KPU) will
\nincrease its budget by Rp 40 billion (US$4.5 million), with most
\nof the money going to speed up voter registration.<\/p>\n
Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, chairman of the KPU, told The Jakarta
\nPost on Wednesday the additional money would be used to hire more
\npeople and procure new facilities to speed up the voter
\nregistration process.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to move each stage forward, meaning that we must add
\nmore personnel and computers in order to speed up the database
\nentry for the voter registration process,\" Nazaruddin said.<\/p>\n
The commission had allocated about Rp 390 billion of its
\nbudget for voter registration.<\/p>\n
The KPU has also complained that demographic data issued by
\nthe Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) is inadequate for the
\nregistration of voters.<\/p>\n
A total of 125 million people from Indonesia's population of
\n200 million were registered as eligible voters in the last
\nelections in 1999.<\/p>\n
Mulyana W. Kusumah, a commission member, said the KPU must
\nbegin registering voters manually in anticipation of the BPS
\nfailing to provide adequate data.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to field more officials who will visit each household
\nto register voters, starting in April,\" he said.<\/p>\n
KPU announced earlier it planned to hold the general elections
\nin April 2004, two months ahead of schedule. This would give the
\ncommission the time to organize the presidential elections by
\nJune. Barring any unexpected obstacles, Indonesia will elect a
\npresident by October next year.<\/p>\n
KPU estimates the upcoming general elections will cost the
\ngovernment some Rp 3.02 trillion, three times the cost of the
\n1999 polls.<\/p>\n
The government has thus far agreed to disburse some Rp 2.3
\ntrillion to the KPU, which will come from the state budget for
\nthe current fiscal year.<\/p>\n
However, there is still skepticism about the government's
\nability to deliver this amount of money, particularly with the
\neconomic crisis continuing to drag on.<\/p>\n
According to the newly endorsed electoral bill, general
\nelections must be funded solely by the state budget.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Nazaruddin said international organizations would
\nagain offer financial support for the KPU, as they did in 1999.<\/p>\n
\"Organizations such as USAID, AUSAID and JICA will again
\ncontribute to the elections with grants and loans channeled
\nthrough the state budget,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpu-to-increase-budget-by-rp-40b-1447893297",
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