KPUD fails to submit needed documents<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) members disappointed
\non Monday the City Council's expectations by not producing key
\n2004 elections documents, arousing suspicion of corruption in the
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
The KPUD members had promised during a hearing last Wednesday
\nto hand over procurement documents for the 2004 elections at a
\nsecond hearing scheduled for Monday.<\/p>\n
\"We are very disappointed that the KPUD members didn't hand
\nover the documents they promised to submit (today),\" said
\nsecretary to Council Commission A for administration and
\ngovernment affairs Raja Natal Sitinjak.<\/p>\n
He said the failure to produce the documents heightened
\nsuspicions that the KPUD members had misused their budget of Rp
\n168.6 billion (US$17.15 million) in the 2004 general and
\npresidential elections.<\/p>\n
City councillors are in the process of examining allegations
\nof fund misuses by KPUD members in the procurement of goods and
\nservices in the elections, particularly in renting houses for
\nmunicipal and regental KPUD secretariats.<\/p>\n
They questioned the figures quoted for yearly rental fees --
\nRp 170 million (US$17,894) for a house in Kepulauan Seribu, Rp
\n375 million for North Jakarta, Rp 455 million for West Jakarta,
\nRp 395 million for South Jakarta, Rp 350 million in East Jakarta,
\nand Rp 374 million in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Monday's hearing was arranged to discuss the allegations, but
\nCommission A refused to continue with the hearing until the KPUD
\nhanded over the documents.<\/p>\n
After a heated debate, the councillors and KPUD members agreed
\nto meet again next Friday, but the KPUD was told to hand over the
\ndocuments by Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The documents include the recapitulation of budget use,
\ncontracts of houses for KPUD secretariats, procurements of goods
\nand services, tax payment documents and expenditure for voters'
\neducation.<\/p>\n
Rois Hadayana Syaudie, a member of Commission A, said the KPUD
\nhad no excuse for failing to hand over the documents as they were
\namong the commission's archives.<\/p>\n
\"The general election was held last year. All those documents
\nshould be filed at the KPUD. For me, its failure to hand over the
\ndocuments indicates embezzlement in the KPUD,\" Rois said.<\/p>\n
Rois acknowledged he was unhappy about the postponement,
\nsaying the KPUD's uncooperativeness was unacceptable as the
\ncommission has the authority to monitor the use of taxpayers'
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
KPUD member Riza Patria said that KPUD's failure to produce
\nthe documents was due to technical reasons, because it wanted to
\nmake \"comprehensive reports\".<\/p>\n
\"We will hand over all required documents on Wednesday so that
\ncouncillors have time to study them before the hearing on
\nFriday,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Apart from the Rp 168.6 billion it was allocated from the city
\nbudget, the KPUD received another Rp 5 billion from the state
\nbudget for organizing the 2004 elections. This year, the KPUD
\nreceived Rp 3.24 billion for its daily operational costs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpud-fails-to-submit-needed-documents-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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