Funding problems delay KPUD office setups
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The late disbursement of election funds from the central government has hampered the establishment of Regional General Elections Commission (KPUD) offices in several provinces, which could delay the 2004 elections.
West Java, East Java, North Sumatra and South Sulawesi are among the provinces that have not yet established their regional elections commissions, whose main duty it is to verify the presence of political parties in regions before declaring them eligible to take part in the general election.
In West Java, the General Elections Commission (KPU) had to borrow operational funds from the local administration, but due to the belated transfer of funds from the central government it cannot elect KPUD members to begin the verification process of political parties.
"It is difficult for us, we should have begun the selection of KPUD members in February but due to the absence of funds we cannot afford it," the province's KPUD spokesman, Bahtiar Sebayang, said on Tuesday.
He said the KPU was committed to providing Rp 386 million for the daily operations of the KPUD, which was still not enough to cover all of its expenditures.
"We have borrowed stationery from the local administration and Rp 100 million in cash to finance operations," Bahtiar said.
Most provinces have established KPUD secretariats since February and have begun the process of selecting members for the regional elections commissions. The members will be elected by independent teams appointed by local administrations, but the entire process is to be funded by the KPU.
KPU expects that by April 4 all of the provinces will have submitted the names of the candidates for their respective KPUD offices.
Each KPUD will consist of five members, who cannot be part of the bureaucracy or members of political parties, which is meant to maintain the independency of the commissions.
West Java Governor Nuriana said the local administration had the obligation to finance the KPUD, but the provincial legislature had not approved the extra budget.
There is a similar problem in East Java, where as of the beginning of the voter registration process on Tuesday local KPUD secretary Nadjib said that he had yet to receive the Rp 33 billion from the KPU to fund its activities.
North Sumatra KPUD secretary Abdul Muthalib also said it would be difficult for him to meet the April 4 deadline for submitting names of candidates due to financial constraints.
"What can I say, the election process for the KPUD members has been delayed because we have yet to received any funding," Abdul said.
In South Sulawesi, despite the late disbursement of funds the election of KPUD members is moving forward thanks to financial support from the local administration.
"We will meet the deadline. We will send the names to the KPU before April 4," South Sulawesi Governor Amin Syam said.