KPU in hot water over alleged budget irregularities

KPU in hot water over alleged budget irregularities

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

House of Representatives legislators slammed the General
Elections Commission (KPU) on Tuesday for alleged irregularities
in its budget spending for the legislative and presidential
polls.

While falling short of saying KPU members were involved in
corruption, lawmakers told a hearing of the House Commission II
on domestic affairs the elections organizer had failed to draw up
a workable plan and comply with the principles of prudence in
budget spending.

"The House and the KPU agreed in November last year that the
legislative and presidential elections would cost no more than Rp
3 trillion (US$333 million) of taxpayers' money.

"But after organizing the two elections and unwisely spending
the budget, the KPU then asks for more money," House member Andi
Matalatta of the Golkar faction said.

The KPU is asking for an additional Rp 418 billion in funding
for the presidential election runoff, and the request is being
discussed by the House's budgetary committee.

Andi said the KPU's excessive spending sprang was because
projects and tenders were not handled by professionals.

Legislator Patrialis Akbar of the National Mandate Party
faction alleged the KPU had given preference to certain companies
in its tendering process, which had resulted in the increased
spending.

"I have information that one printing firm got a contract
after it proposed that ballot papers would cost the KPU only Rp
141,000 per roll, while another company set the price at Rp
143,000. How can this be? The KPU should have set the same
standard for all printing firms," Patrialis said.

He also delved into the high cost the KPU had to pay for its
defense lawyers.

"For 2003, payment for the lawyers stood at Rp 750 million.
Now, it is up to Rp 1.6 billion. Is this not too much for paying
lawyers whose services are used only to intimidate those who say
bad things about the KPU," he said.

On Monday, the KPU filed a complaint with the Jakarta Police
against a coalition of non-governmental organizations, which
earlier reported the commission to the Corruption Eradication
Corruption (KPK) for allegedly marking up the prices of election
materials, which involved some Rp 375 billion in funds.

Responding to the criticism, KPU chairman Nazaruddin
Syamsuddin said the budget expansion was unintended and was the
result of hasty preparations when organizing the elections.

"We had to deal with a myriad of difficulties as we only had a
short time to prepare all the materials needed for the polls," he
said.

Nazaruddin said the increasing number of electorates and the
expansion of electoral districts had contributed to the election
budget rise.

Later in the day, KPU member Hamid Awaluddin went to the KPK
office to provide it with data on the election commission's
budget spending in response to the corruption allegations.

Speaking after meeting with KPK member Erry Riyana
Hardjapamekas, Hamid said the antigraft commission would not
investigate the corruption case before the Supreme Audit Agency
(BPK) wrapped up its audit on the KPU financial report.