Village Funds Face Threat Of Misuse In Regional Elections: Bawaslu

Denpasar, Bali (Antara Bali) -- The funds of more than Rp20.7 trillion allocated for rural development are prone to misappropriation by irresponsible parties in the regional elections, a spokesman for the Bali Regional Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) said.

"Irresponsible parties tend to misuse the village funds in the regional elections because they are managed at the village level," Ketut Rudia, the spokesman, stated on Friday while explaining the progress of preparations made for the regional elections in Bali.

He pointed out that a village head forum in a certain district in Bali had declared its support for one of the regional head aspirants in the upcoming elections.

Therefore, Rudia said he suspected that the funds for rural development could be used for political purposes.

"It is possible for an unscrupulous village chief to commit to local communities that the village funds would be disbursed if they choose a particular candidate," he cautioned.

The spokesman added that to prevent the likelihood of such a situation, Bawaslu Bali will write to the heads of the beneficiary rural villages next Monday onwards to warn them to not try to use these funds for political purposes. (WDY)