KPUD asks for Rp 50b from city
KPUD asks for Rp 50b from city
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) asked the city
administration on Tuesday to lend it Rp 50 billion to cover its
operational costs this year.
The KPUD announced the request after its 35 members were sworn
in by Governor Sutiyoso on Tuesday, as the central government has
yet to disburse the funds through the General Elections
Commission (KPU).
City KPUD chairman M. Taufik, speaking after the inauguration
ceremony, said his commission was badly in need of the money, to
prepare for the general election scheduled for April next year.
He said the Rp 50 billion would be used to finance KPUD's
activities, including the verification of political parties to
contest the 2004 election, disseminating the commission's
programs, establishing local electoral committees and setting up
poll booths.
Based on the election law, all KPUD activities are funded by
the government through allocations in the state budget and
regional budget. The central government has allocated some Rp 2.3
trillion for next year's election.
Responding to the KPUD demand, Sutiyoso said his
administration would lend the funds on a temporary basis to the
city commission, but asked it to repay the money after it had
received funding from the KPU.
The governor did not state the amount of money he would
disburse to the KPUD, saying it would be taken from the city's
reserve funds.
Taufik, one of those who backed Sutiyoso's reelection bid to
contest Jakarta's gubernatorial election in September 2002, said
earlier that KPUD has so far spent some Rp 500 million since its
members were elected last May.
The 35 KPUD members, who were inaugurated by the governor on
Tuesday, included five for the commission's provincial level and
30 for those in five municipalities and Kepulauan Seribu regency.
Tubagus Haryokarbiyanto of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute
(LBH Jakarta), who deals with urban affairs, urged the city KPUD
to be transparent in using its operational funds in order to
avoid public suspicion over possible misuse.
"The KPUD must give the details of funds it intends to spend
to the public so as to prevent allegations of corruption. It
should also be ready to accept complaints and information about
irregularities from the public," he told The Jakarta Post.
Tubagus suggested that the KPUD establish a center to deal
with public grievances and information regarding its work.
Taufik promised to involve activists from non-governmental
organizations in the verification of more than 200 political
parties that will contest the 2004 election.