The DPR Approves a Single-Round Election Budget for 2024; Here's the Amount

The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission II has approved a budget allocation of Rp28.3 trillion for the General Election Commission (KPU) and Rp11.6 trillion for the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) for the 2024 general election (Pemilu).

This decision was announced during a Hearing Meeting (RDP) between Commission II of the DPR RI, the KPU, and the Bawaslu on Tuesday (12/9/2023).

The approval is in accordance with a Joint Circular Letter from the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency, Suharso Monoarfa, and the Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani, signed on July 31, 2023.

KPU Chairman Hasyim Asy'ari explained that the approved 2024 KPU budget is Rp28,365,496,586,000, from an initially requested budget of Rp44,737,909,334,000.

The KPU also detailed that the allocated budget for the upcoming 2024 election will be used to finance various activities, including:

* Socialization/education/technical guidance on stages: Rp172.3 billion
* Information and communication technology infrastructure and election technical training: Rp370 billion
* Logistics management, procurement, reporting, and documentation: Rp2.44 trillion
* Formation/selection, honorariums, and operational costs of Ad Hoc bodies: Rp18.6 trillion
* Polling, counting, tabulation, and result determination: Rp2.60 trillion
* Legal advocacy, election dispute resolution, and regulation drafting: Rp27.30 billion
* Campaign and oath-taking: Rp886.64 billion
* Operational and non-operational expenses: Rp2.6 trillion
* Regional elections in 4 new autonomous regions (DOB): Rp974.35 billion

Hasyim emphasized that this budget is only for one round. "The KPU's 2024 indicative budget does not include the budget for a second round of the presidential election," said Hasyim during the Commission II DPR RI RDP on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

Meanwhile, the approved budget for Bawaslu is Rp11,605,527,974,000, also only covering up to the first round of the presidential election. The details are as follows:

* Management Support Program: Rp1,362,618,246,000
* Election Implementation Program in the Democratic Process: Rp10,242,909,728,000

Separately, President Joko Widodo denied reports that the government only provided a budget for one round of the 2024 presidential election (Pilpres). He stated that the government has provided a budget for a second round, even though a second round may not be necessary.

"If it's one round, then (the budget is for) one round. If it's two rounds, then (the budget is for) two rounds," Jokowi said in a statement, as reported by *Kompas.com* on Wednesday (13/9/2023).

(See also: Government Disburses Rp126 Billion in Political Party Assistance Funds, Most to PDI-P)