The Cost Of The 2024 Election Is The Reason For Postponing The Election But The Cost Of Moving The Capital City From Jakarta To Kalimantan Is No Problem, Refly Harun: Strange!

The jug ritual at IKN Nusantara is led by President Jokowi. (BPMI Setpres/Laily Rachev)

JAKARTA - Constitutional law expert Refly Harun can't understand those who support the relocation of the capital city from Jakarta to the National Capital City (IKN) of the Archipelago to East Kalimantan but is questioning the budget that will be issued for the 2024 General Election (Pemilu).

"This is what I think is a bit strange," he said, quoted from the YouTube channel Refly Harun, Thursday, March 17.

Citing data from the Ministry of Finance, the total budget for the construction of IKN Nusantara is IDR 466 trillion. Meanwhile, the cost of holding the 2024 General Election proposed by the General Elections Commission (KPU) amounted to Rp. 86 trillion.

Refly views those who object to the 2024 election budget as unfair. Because according to him, at the same time the government and the DPR have approved the IKN Bill (RUU) to become the IKN Law as the legal basis for implementing the relocation of the capital city.

"[Actually] the question is why spend such a large budget to move the national capital, something that is not necessary," he said.

To those who questioned the postponement of the 2024 Election, Refly asked to be careful in considering the level of urgency of the state's interests. "What is not urgent [IKN Nusantara], we have to ask too, yes," he continued.

As is known, the rules for moving the country's capital city are enshrined in Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning IKN. In the regulation, the development and transfer of IKN is designed to be sustainable so that it does not stop at the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration.

"The current and future presidents must implement this law," said Wandy Tuturoong, the main expert at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP).

He continued, the IKN Law also regulates the funding scheme and management of the revenue and expenditure budget. "This arrangement is to provide clear rules for the IKN development process which will be carried out until 2045," he said.