NZ Gives Technical Assistance For Indonesian Elections

New Zealand will provide technical expertise to assist Indonesia's preparations for the forthcoming national elections Foreign Minister Don McKinnon and Associate Minister Simon Upton announced today.

"New Zealand is keen to play a part in preparing for the first free and fair elections to be held in Indonesia in over 30 years. New Zealand's assistance will consist of funding a technical adviser to help assess, develop and implement voter education strategies adopted by the Indonesian Election Commission (KPU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which has agreed to assist and co-ordinate election preparations," the Ministers said.

The assistance will be funded from within the New Zealand Official Development Assistance Programme to Indonesia, which totals $5.1 million a year.

Earlier this year, New Zealand contributed $150,000 to the UNDP Trust Fund for the Indonesian Elections to support the work of a non-partisan team of well respected community leaders appointed to prepare the ground for the establishment of the new Election Commission (KPU).

"New Zealand is working to identify other areas in which we can provide further assistance. This may include the provision of additional technical expertise or assistance for the training of electoral officials," the Ministers said.