Budget for Presidential Poll Reaches Rp7.9 Trillion

Jakarta (Antara) - The General Elections Commission (KPU) has so far received budget allocations of Rp7.9 trillion to finance the presidential elections, its secretary general Arif Rahman Hakim said. "The budget has been allocated to the KPU. The budget consists of Rp4 trillion for the first round of presidential elections and Rp3.9 trillion for the second round," he said here on Sunday. The use of budget allocations for the second round of presidential elections depended on whether the polls would be held in one round or two rounds, he said. The KPU would hold a discussion with a number of experts and parties involved in the enactment of the presidential election law to decide whether the elections would be held in one round or two rounds, he said. "If the elections are held in one round, we will return the budget allocations of Rp3.9 trillion to the Finance Ministry," he said. KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay meanwhile said the commission would invite a number of relevant parties to discuss the criteria of elected president. "God willing, we will hold the discussion with experts on Wednesday (June 11). Based on the result of the discussion we will write to the constitutional court to interpret articles of the law," he said. Under the presidential election law, a pair of presidential and vice presidential candidates must gain at least 50 percent of votes plus one vote and 20 percent of valid votes at least in half of all provinces in the country to win the elections. (*) Reporting by Fransiska Ninditya