House questions elections budget

JAKARTA: House of Representatives Commission II budget committee has approved only Rp 146.32 billion (US$15.8 million) out of the Rp 1.03 trillion regional elections supporting budget proposed by the home ministry.

A source on the committee said the government had included many unnecessary items in its proposal, particularly for security and legal affairs, which was allocated a whopping Rp 854.2 billion.

He said the government did not have to buy new equipment and renew the data base of voters, but reuse the ones left over from the legislative and presidential elections last year.

The government had earlier proposed a Rp 1.25 trillion budget for the execution of the elections.

The commission and the home ministry are scheduled to resume talks in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. -- JP