ULM Observer Highlights Budget Swelling in Banjarbaru PSU: Serious Evaluation of Election Organizers Needed
Banjarbaru — The implementation of the Re-vote (PSU) in the 2025 Banjarbaru Pilkada has attracted public attention because it has caused a budget swell that could have been avoided with better management.
Political observer from Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), Mahyuni, said that the increasing cost of organizing the PSU reflects weak election management.
“As a result, time is wasted, the public is harmed, and the budget is definitely increasing. The selection and salaries of adhoc bodies must be recalculated, not to mention other technical costs,” said Mahyuni, Sunday (2/3/2025).
According to him, election organizers should have been able to choose a more efficient step from the start, such as a mechanism for continued voting at polling stations that are experiencing problems, so that they do not have to carry out a complete PSU.
“If it’s just reprinting the ballots, the maximum cost is IDR 30 million. But because of the PSU, the costs required are much greater,” explained Mahyuni, who is also a former Head of the South Kalimantan Bawaslu.
Nevertheless, Mahyuni emphasized that the PSU must still be carried out to ensure the validity of the election results. He also suggested that the budget for implementing the PSU can be supported through an allocation of funds from the APBN.
“There is no reason there are no costs. At least, this budget can be backed up from the APBN,” he added.
Furthermore, Mahyuni highlighted the impact of the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling ordering a PSU, which he considered also affected the level of public trust in the election organizers.
“The majority of Banjarbaru KPU commissioners have indeed been fired, but restoring public trust is not easy. Suspicion will definitely remain,” he said.
As an effort to restore public trust, Mahyuni encouraged the Provincial KPU and the Indonesian KPU to be actively involved in ensuring transparency and integrity of the election process.
“Hopefully this will be a valuable lesson for election organizers to be more careful. Especially in this month of Ramadan, the right momentum for introspection. If you feel there is a mistake, you should immediately repent,” concluded Mahyuni.
