Next Year, Political Party Assistance Funds In Bekasi Increase 300 Percent, Per Vote To Rp6,000

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JAKARTA - The aid funds for political parties in Bekasi Regency, West Java are set to increase by 300 percent. Currently, the aid fund is recorded at IDR 1,500 per vote based on valid votes in the 2019 legislative election. With this increase to IDR 6,000 per vote starting next year.

"The increase to IDR 6,000 is based on the results of our study with the TAPD (Regional Government Budget Team)," said Head of the National Unity and Political Unity Agency of Bekasi Regency, Juhandi in Cikarang as quoted by Antara, Thursday, December 30.

Juhandi admitted that the determination of the increase in aid was based on the results of the proposals by political parties plus a circular letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the increase in political party assistance funds for regional governments with large budgets.

He said the determination of the increase in aid had been submitted to the West Java Provincial Government for evaluation. As a result, his party was asked to complete several studies which have now been submitted back to the provincial government.

"The province asks for a financial review, funds for health, education, and the signature of the inspectorate which has not approved it. So that the important needs are not balanced with the party's financial assistance. This assistance can be used by political parties to foster party administration," he said.

Meanwhile, Director of the Indonesian Democracy and Electoral Empowerment Partnership (DEEP) Yusfitriadi said the increase in political party funds was deemed inappropriate considering the current role of political parties was not running effectively.

"Financing for political parties is always used to reduce the impact of pragmatic behavior in various kinds of contestation momentum, both in the legislative and presidential elections, the reason is because party funds are small," he said.

"But I have a different perception, that today the role of political parties is not running optimally, for example regarding political education for the community, then the cadre is also not running effectively, then the function of aspirations for people's voices is also not so optimal," he added.

According to him, political parties currently tend to run on two interests, namely the interests of power and campaign interests, while the interests of the community are felt to be minimal.

"The increase in political party funds could be an additional burden of public money for which there is no clear reporting including its allocation, unless there are rigid rules that can be accounted for in a transparent and accountable manner," he said.

Moreover, this increase in assistance was determined when economic conditions were still experiencing a decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused budget weakness and shortages of regional-based financing in almost all elements.

His party is worried that the increase in political party funds is a motive carried out by regional heads to accommodate political parties. Regional heads should be able to recalculate priority funds to be raised rather than just aid for political parties.

"I'm afraid that this will become a political motive ahead of the political year so that regional heads are accommodating political party bargaining by increasing the budget so that it will interfere with other budget posts, even though in all regions there is a lack of budget to implement the program," he said.

Based on PP Number 1 of 2018, he said, the amount of financial assistance to political parties at the district/city level is a maximum of Rp. 1,500 even though the same rules accommodate an increase in aid in accordance with the regional financial capacity.

"Bekasi is currently experiencing budget inflation due to COVID-19, then political parties' budgets have increased while other budgets have been subject to refocusing, budget reallocation. This is counterproductive to today's spirit, the spirit of austerity, the spirit of empathy, the spirit of social movements, the spirit of the populist economy, a very visible pattern of bargaining- her," he said.