Govt prepares Rp 5t for elections

Govt prepares Rp 5t for elections

MANADO, North Sulawesi: General Elections Commission (KPU)
chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin disclosed on Friday that the
government had allocated Rp 5 trillion (US$609 million) for the
2004 presidential and legislative elections.

According to Nazaruddin, the money would be spent on financing
all activities involved in the election process, ranging from the
preparations to ballot counting.

He said the funds would not include the money needed to
finance the activities of the election supervisory committee
(Panwaslu).

Nazaruddin added that the supervisory committee had sought Rp2
trillion to finance its activities over 18 months from 2003 to
2004.

He said that a number of countries like Japan, France, the
Netherlands, and Germany had offered assistance to the KPU in the
form of training and courses rather than money. - Antara

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Scene-immigration-attache
Indonesia to assign more diplomats
JP/4/SCENE

Indonesia to assign more diplomats

JAKARTA: The government will post immigration attaches in 11
more foreign capitals and cities, a spokesman said here on
Friday.

Ade Endang Dahlan, a spokesperson for the immigration service,
said the diplomats would take up postings in London (Britain),
Cape Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia),
New Delhi (India), New York (United States), Buenos Aires
(Argentina), Ghuang Zhou and Shang Lu (China), and Kinabalu
(Malaysia).

So far, Indonesia has immigration attaches in only 18 foreign
capitals and cities, he said.

With a total of 29 immigration attaches abroad, the government
hopes to improve immigration services to the public in the
foreign capitals and cities concerned.

The government, however, is still in the process of selecting
the personnel who will be posted abroad, Ade said. - Antara

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Scene-WFP-Maluku
WFP to send aid to refugees
JP/4/SCENE

WFP to send aid to refugees

AMBON, Maluku: The World Food Program (WFP) will channel food
donations to refugees in Maluku who are not covered by the
central government's program, an official has said.

Chairman of WFP-Maluku, Jerry Bailey, told reporters here on
Friday that the work of the United Nations in handling the food
program in the province since 2002 had been made possible through
the involvement of 14 working partners.

"In implementing the program, to reach the right targets on
time, the WFP has fostered cooperation with other United Nations
institutions, the local administration and some non-governmental
organizations," he said.

He said the WFP has contributed 425 metric tons of rice to
over 12,000 people traumatized by the communal conflict which
lasted three years since it first flared up in January 1999. Some
of the refugees received donations under the "food-for-work"
program in the provincial capital of Ambon and Leihitu
subdistrict in Central Maluku.

"WFP assistance is also allocated to widows and those aged
over 55. The WFP will also channel other supplies needed by the
refugees," he added. -- Antara