Additional Pilkada Budget Has Not Been Disbursed, KPU Chair Is Uneasy

Chairman of the KPU Arief Budiman (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the General Election Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman admitted that he was nervous because the additional budget for the 2020 Pilkada for the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) had not been disbursed until now. In fact, currently the 2020 Pilkada stage has entered into factual verification of individual support.

Because, in implementing factual verification in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Arief, voting officers (PPS) need PPE such as masks, faceshields, and gloves.

"The factual verification of individual support costs money because it has to complement the PPS with PPE, at least in the rules we call masks, faceshields, gloves. But until now the money has not been disbursed," said Arief in a discussion broadcast on YouTube, Wednesday, June 24.

Thus, the KPU is currently pushing for the PPE grant scheme from the Task Force in the regions that hold regional elections.

"We encourage regional governments that have become the Task Force to donate personal protective equipment. Just need more information, do all regions have sufficient PPE for PPS needs?" he said.

Even though the PPE needs for this PPS are not too much, if not fulfilled it will cause new problems.

"If it's not there, it's a hassle too. This is what (makes, ed) a bit worried because it can't be disbursed," he said.

Arief assessed that the factual verification stage could not be pushed back. Because, if it is postponed because it is waiting for the additional budget for the 2020 Pilkada to be disbursed, the other stages will be disrupted. "This is what we are a little worried about," he said.

Previously, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani approved the addition of the 2020 Pilkada budget proposed by the general election commission (KPU) in a joint meeting with Commission II of the DPR.

In the first stage, Sri Mulyani granted a budget of IDR 1 trillion out of the total requested by the KPU of IDR 4.77 trillion. This budget comes from the national revenue and expenditure budget (APBN).

"In order to support the entire Pilkada process, we decided to provide the first stage or IDR1 trillion as requested by the KPU. While continuing to review documents in accordance with statutory provisions," said the Minister of Finance at the Commission II meeting, Thursday, 12 June.

On the same occasion, KPU Chairman Arief Budiman said an additional budget of IDR 4.77 trillion was needed because there were a number of additional items needed to be able to hold regional elections with the COVID-19 health protocol.

The tools and goods in question include 13 million cloth masks, 304 thousand disposable masks for KPPS officers, 609 thousand boxes of spare disposable masks for voters at TPS, 6.5 million bottles of hand sanitizer, and two million bottles of disinfectant.

Furthermore, the additional budget will be used to procure 5.4 million boxes of plastic gloves, 2.4 million bottles of liquid soap, 712 thousand infrared thermometers, four million face shields, and various other needs.