To deliver election logistics to a single polling station, the commission may have to spend around Rp150 million (about US$9,503), head of the KPU-Papua Office, Steve Dumbon, told ANTARA in Jayapura on Tuesday.
The huge budget is mainly needed due to transportation costs because, in order to reach the polling stations in hinterlands and other remote areas, the KPU will have to use charter aircraft or motorboats, he explained.
To complete the delivery, couriers will need to be hired who will carry the election logistics on foot for three days to reach the destinations, Dumbon said.
Mamberamo Raya is one such district with difficult geographical terrain. Thus, the commission will need to allocate Rp10 billion (some US$633,470) for distributing election logistics, he added.
As of Tuesday, KPU personnel in the regions were still focusing on packing the election logistics before delivering them to local poll administrators who will then hand them to poll workers, Dumbon informed.
The KPU-Papua Office's working areas cover the districts of Jayapura, Keerom, Sarmi, Mamberamo Raya, Supiori, Biak Numfor, Waropen, and Kepulauan Yapen, as well as Jayapura city.
ANTARA has previously reported that the KPU has announced that a total of 204,807,222 voters are registered on the final voter list for the 2024 General Elections.
The commission has also announced that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously across Indonesia on February 14, 2024.
The commission has officially set a 75-day election campaign period for the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates from November 28, 2023, to February 10, 2024.
All participating political parties and presidential contenders have pledged to conduct peaceful elections.
As part of its efforts to make voters aware of the three candidate pairs' political pledges, the commission has decided to organize five rounds of debates ahead of the presidential election.
The first and second rounds were held on December 12 and December 22, 2023. The third round took place on January 7, 2024, and the fourth round on January 21. The fifth round is scheduled to be held on February 4.
The three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates contesting the presidential election are Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.
Baswedan and Iskandar have been nominated with the support of the NasDem Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Ummat Party.
Meanwhile, Subianto and Raka have the backing of the Gerindra Party and a coalition of parties, including Golkar, National Mandate Party (PAN), Democratic Party, and Gelora Party.
Pranowo and Mahfud have the support of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), United Development Party, Perindo Party, and Hanura Party.
Related news: Papua police secure 139 villages for elections after tensions eased
Related news: Election logistics delivery to Tambrauw remote areas priority: KPU
Related news: Papua Police ready to help KPU in distributing election logistics
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2024