CBA Criticizes Budget for Presidential Election Dissemination

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Centre for Budget Analysis (CBA) director Uchok Sky Khadafi questioned the budget set by Jakarta National and Political Unity (Kesbangpol) worth Rp11 billion that was earmarked for the dissemination program of 2019 presidential election.

According to Uchok, Kesbangpol should not oversee the presidential election. “Regional General Election Commission (KPUD) and Jakarta Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) can handle the affairs,” Uchok told Tempo, Saturday, September 8.

The budget proposal, he explained, could cause the election program as a project and that was not proper for Kesbangpol and other Jakarta's regional working units (SKPD) managing the matter as it was potentially risky. 

“It tends to spark political alignment to one of the candidates,” he said.

However, the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) has ratified the budget allocation amounted to Rp11 billion. The proposal was accepted during the budgetary committee's (Banggar) meeting on the city budget priorities and preliminary thresholds (KUA PPAS) in DPRD building, Central Jakarta, Friday, September 7.

“We recognize that this budget is required to support the dissemination program carried out by KPUD and Bawaslu,” said Kesbangpol acting head Taufan Bakri in the meeting.

The budget for the previous similar program was allotted at Rp3.8 billion. Taufan explained the amount was suggested during the meeting between Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and KPU and Jakarta Bawaslu. Both commissions urged Anies to immediately disseminate the regulation on the presidential election.

A total of 16,000 people that divided into 180 groups would be assigned to periodically establish the dissemination program related to the 2019 presidential election.

M YUSUF MANURUNG