2029 Election Stages to Begin Next Year; KPU and Bawaslu Jointly Request Additional Budget
The initial stages of the 2029 General Election are set to begin preparations in 2027. As these stages approach, the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) have jointly requested additional budget allocations to meet the requirements for election administration and the routine activities of both institutions.
The total additional budget requested by the KPU and Bawaslu amounts to approximately Rp851.04 billion. The KPU has proposed an increase of Rp78.3 billion, while Bawaslu is requesting an additional Rp772.74 billion.
The Secretary General of the KPU, Suryadi, stated that the additional budget is necessary because the existing ceiling for 2027 does not cover all institutional needs, particularly routine activities and several preparatory stages for the 2029 Election.
“As for routine activities, no budget has been allocated at all. Therefore, on this occasion, we are proposing an additional KPU budget for 2027 to cover the election implementation programme and the management support programme by an amount of Rp78.3 billion,” Suryadi said during a working meeting with Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) at the DPR Building, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (31/8).
He explained that the proposed increase covers 67 activities within the management support programme and five activities within the election implementation programme. This includes preparations for the election stages scheduled for 2027.
The KPU previously received a 2027 budget ceiling of Rp4.68 trillion. This budget is divided into a management support programme of Rp3.253 trillion (69.48%) and an election implementation programme of Rp1.429 trillion (30.52%).
According to Suryadi, the Rp1.429 trillion allocated for the election implementation programme is entirely dedicated to the 2029 Election stages that will begin in 2027. This includes Rp339.96 billion for programme and budget planning and the drafting of election implementation regulations, as well as Rp464.37 billion for the registration and verification of election participants.
The KPU has also allocated Rp187.5 billion for the formation of ad hoc bodies, Rp239.38 billion for voter data updates and the compilation of voter lists, and Rp164.77 billion for the determination of seat numbers and electoral districts. Meanwhile, the nomination of presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as members of the DPR, DPD, and provincial and regency/city DPRD, has been allocated Rp33.2 billion.
“The allocation for this non-operational expenditure is for the 2029 Election stages to be implemented in the 2027 fiscal year,” Suryadi noted. He emphasised that while the budget for election stages has been allocated, the KPU’s routine activities have yet to receive funding.
The Rp3.25 trillion for the management support programme is used for employee salaries, performance allowances, honorariums for the KPU Chairperson and Members, and office operations across all KPU work units. Suryadi stated that the additional Rp78.3 billion would be used to meet routine needs and support the 2029 Election preparations.
The request for additional funding was also voiced by Bawaslu. The Secretary General of Bawaslu, Ferdinand Eskol Tiar Sirait, stated that his institution currently has a total 2027 budget ceiling of Rp3.749 trillion, consisting of a management support programme of Rp2.570 trillion and an election implementation programme of Rp1.178 trillion.
Ferdinand noted that, similar to the KPU, the budget for several of Bawaslu’s routine activities has not yet been allocated. “We would like to highlight, as the Secretary General of the KPU mentioned, that the budget for Bawaslu’s routine tasks and functions has not been allocated so far. We are also requesting an additional budget,” Ferdinand said.
Bawaslu has proposed an additional budget of Rp772.74 billion. This proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of State Secretariat and is currently awaiting approval.
From the Rp1.178 trillion election implementation programme, Bawaslu has allocated Rp428.21 billion for programme and budget planning and the drafting of election supervision regulations. Additionally, Rp124.4 billion is allocated for the supervision of the registration and verification of election participants, and Rp402.56 billion is set aside for supervision by ad hoc bodies.
Furthermore, Rp108.04 billion is allocated for voter data supervision, covering the formation of voter data collection officers (Pantarlih), voter data matching and research, and the use of voter information systems. Bawaslu has also allocated Rp77.96 billion for the supervision of seat and electoral district determination, and Rp37.45 billion for the supervision of presidential, vice-presidential, and legislative nominations.
Consequently, the total additional budget requested by both election organising bodies reaches approximately Rp851.04 billion to support routine activities and ensure the 2029 Election preparations can proceed starting in 2027.