KALLA: DEMAND FOR ONE-ROUND PRESIDENTIAL POLL 'UNDEMOCRATIC'

Jakarta, June 18 (ANTARA) - Presidential candidate M Jusuf Kalla said the demand of a rival candidate to finish the upcoming presidential election in one round only was in fact an "undemocratic" move.

"It is Very undemocratic, especially with an excuse which is irrelevant, namely to save state budget funds," Kalla said after holding a presidential candidate debate attended by one thousand women here on Thursday.

"It's true it could save four trillion rupiahs, and it's true that four trillion rupiah is a huge amount, but if we choose the wrong leader, the loss could be hundreds of trillions of rupiah," he said.

The demand for a one-round presidential election should not be forced on the people, he said. "We should Let the people themselves decide (whether it will be one round or two rounds)," he added.

Kalla's running mate Wiranto shared his partner's view.

"Let the people decide, it's not good to force something on the people. The people's mind should not be disturbed by the demand," Wiranto, a retired general, said.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set schedules for closed-door campaigning from June 2 to 10, and mass rallies from June 11 to July 4, 2009. The presidential elections will be held on July 8, 2009.

Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto are competing with other candidates, namely incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who pairs with Boediono, an economist, as well as with former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and retired general Prabowo in the upcoming presidential race.

KPU would need around Rp4 trillion in funds to hold a second round of the upcoming presidential election, KPU Secretary General Suripto Bambang Setyadi said recently.

Of the amount, Rp1.2 trillion could be obtained from what had been saved on the KPU's expenditures to hold the recent legislative elections and what could be saved on the cost of the forthcoming presidential election in one round.

Another Rp2.8 trillion could be taken from what provincial and district election commissions had saved through efficiency measures, Setyadi said.