APSN | 'Regional leaders will start spending just before elections'

Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia

'Regional leaders will start spending just before elections'

Jakarta Globe - August 29, 2015

National coalitions rendered irrelevant in local polls – Jakarta Post. July 29, 2015
Activists question spy chief's plan to recruit agents for election monitoring – Jakarta Globe. July 13, 2015
Local leaders withhold almost $20 billion in state funds before polls – Reuters. July 9, 2015
'Political dynasties legalized' as court allows relatives to run for office – Jakarta Globe. July 8, 2015
Newly endorsed law keeps party power to pick candidates – Jakarta Post. February 18, 2015

Medan, North Sumatra – Local administrations aren't spending as much as the central government has hoped, but that is not because leaders are afraid to be scrutinized, they're just waiting for the right time to launch projects as part of their strategies to win elections in December, a politician has said.

Sutrisno Pangaribuan, a member of the North Sumatra Legislative Council for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said local administrators seem to be making a calculated decision to start spending at a politically convenient time, despite central government requests to do so quickly in order to stimulate economic growth.

"District heads aren't focusing anymore on budget expenditure, because they're already concentrating on election strategies," Sutrisno said. He added that projects would likely be launched close to the election date, Dec. 9, to win the favor of people benefiting from the initiatives in question.

Sutrisno also said that the lack of government spending on the sub-national level could also be a means for local administrators to force Jakarta into renegotiating the state budget on their terms. The lawmaker therefore urged the Home Affairs Ministry to keep its eyes peeled for any attempts at manipulation.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/regional-leaders-will-start-spending-just-elections/.