Consignment Meeting Signals DPR Will Agree On Rp76 Trillion Election Budget

ILLUSTRA TION BY VOI

JAKARTA - The results of the Consignment Meeting between Commission II of the DPR, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and election organizers namely the KPU, Bawaslu, and DKPP signaled that the council members might approve the proposed 2024 election budget of Rp. 76 trillion.

The signal was given by a number of members of Commission II of the DPR after attending the Consignment Meeting in Jakarta from Friday, May 13 to Saturday morning.

"From Rp. 86 trillion (down) to Rp. 76 trillion, it means that the KPU's attitude and steps have been taken (which have taken into account) our input and suggestions," said DPR Commission II member Guspardi Gaus, quoted by Antara, Saturday, May 14.

He conveyed that the KPU could make a number of savings so that the proposed budget was not as large as the initial proposal, which was Rp. 86 trillion.

The savings include changing the budget ceiling for the honorarium for the ad hoc election committee.

"There (the initial budget proposal proposal) 70 percent of the funds are only for honorarium costs, now it has been reduced," said Guspardi.

Other savings can also be made by the KPU if the agency can approach the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to request a warehouse loan facility.

"We hope that (KPU) will approach the Ministry of Home Affairs as a supervisor for regional, district, city and governor heads, how to get loan facilities for warehouses," said Guspardi.

Then, he said the budget for the meeting could also be reduced.

“The point is how the meetings don't have to go to Jakarta (for participants from outside the capital city) because if you invite them to Jakarta there will be flight costs, hotels, pocket money for the people invited. The lesson from this pandemic is that we know what is called Zoom (virtual meeting)," he said.

Meanwhile, DPR Commission II member Rifqi Karsayuda said the participants of the Consignment Meeting had the same understanding regarding the 2024 election budget.

"The DPR RI Commission II consignment with the KPU, Bawaslu, and the Ministry of Home Affairs agreed on several things, first about the 2024 election budget which God willing, Rp. 76 trillion can be approved, which will be allocated from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 APBN," said Rifqi

However, the results of the discussion in the consignment are not an official agreement or decision.

The result of the meeting is a form of inter-institutional understanding on a number of issues that often reap debate, including the budget, dispute resolution, campaign period, and procurement of election logistics.

Commission II of the DPR, the government, and election organizers will again discuss these issues in a hearing (RDP) in the DPR.

“The key word is that consignment is part of the agenda to equalize perceptions, and consignment is not an official agenda whose decision becomes an official decision. The official decision (is in) the RDP," said Rifqi.

The consignment was deliberately held to overcome the deadlock experienced by the parties when discussing various election issues in formal meeting forums.