VIVAnews - Regional Elections Commission (KPUD) of Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, called off the second round of regional elections in East Manggarai Regency, which had been planned to take place this weekend, due to fund deficiency.
This is the first regional elections in the regency. The cancellation includes the process of verification of voters' data, procurement and distribution of ballots, procurement of ink and ballot counting format.
Head of KPUD of Manggarai, Fransiskus Aci, in the cancellation decree dated 7 December 2008, stated that the cancellation was caused by fund insufficiency.
"The second round regional elections will be continued after the KPUD of Manggarai consults with the Department of Domestic Affairs and Central Elections Commission," Fransiskus told reporters on Tuesday, Dec 9. The KPUD team will shortly leave for Jakarta to discuss the matter.
"The fund is not yet disbursed. The second round regional elections is to take place on December 13. Therefore, there will be no other choice but to cancel the process," Fransiskus said.
Earlier, Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) approved donation of 2009 budget amounting to Rp 5 billion (approx. US$456,000) to finance the second round regional elections. However, NTT Governor Frans Leburaya has yet to indicate when the fund will be disbursed.
The votes for seven regional head pairs did not meet 30 percent in the first round of the regional elections in September.
Two pairs acquiring higher votes Yoseph Tote-Agas Andreas (Functional Group Party) and Yoseph Biron Aur-Gorgonius D Bajang (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle) were elected as pairs that could proceed to the second round.
Coverage by: Jemris Fointuna/Kupang
Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono
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