Adjusting The 2024 Pilkada Budget, Gunungkidul KPU Plans To Cut 500 TPS

Illustration. People with disabilities participate in choosing at the TPS during the Jember Regional Election, December 9, 2020. (ANTARA-HO- Perpenca Jember)

The General Election Commission (KPU) of Gunungkidul Regency plans to reduce 500 polling stations (TPS) in its territory.

The head of the Gunungkidul Regency KPU, Ahmadi Ruslan Hani, said that if it was reduced, the TPS in Gunungkidul in the 2024 Pilkada from 1,900 to 1,400 polling stations. The reduction has adjusted the budget capacity of the funds that have been discussed previously.

Based on the results of coordination with the Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD) of Gunungkidul Regency, the budget for the 2024 Pilkada will be trimmed from the proposal submitted by the KPU.

"Initially we proposed Rp43 billion. After intensive coordination, the regional election budget became around Rp30 billion," Ahmadi said in Gunungkidul, Thursday, September 14, which was confiscated by Antara.

He said the budget needs submitted to the Gunungkidul Regency Government had been adjusted to the regional goods and services price standards (SHBJ).

As a consequence of reducing the 2024 Pilkada budget, the Gunungkidul KPU also reduced the number of polling stations. Based on the number of voters in Gunungkidul, the number of polling stations should be as many as 1,900 points.

"With the budget reduction, the number of polling stations in the 2024 Pilkada will be 1,400 locations or a decrease of 500 polling stations," he said.

According to him, this is not a problem because in the Pilkada Law, a maximum of one polling station has been designed for 800 voters. In the previous regional elections in Gunungkidul, one polling station was mostly for 500 voters.

"There is only Gunungkidul, which has not yet been completed regarding the amount of the 2024 Pilkada budget, another district in DIY has been completed. We hope that October will be completed, given the discourse on the 2024 Pilkada to advance from November to September," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Regional Finance and Assets Agency of Gunungkidul Regency, Putro Sapto Wahyono, said the 2024 Pilkada budget was still under discussion. Finally, the KPU asked for around Rp37 billion, but there has been no agreement.

"Currently we are still installing the figure of Rp. 31 billion. The KPU asks for the central standard, we ask it to use local SHBJ standards," said Putro.