Jakarta – Citing budgetary constraints, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has canceled a plan to meet in Bali from April 3 through April 7 to draft the amendments to the 1945 Constitution, which will be tabled during the annual MPR session in August, a report said.

The cancellation was announced by the management of the Grand Bali Beach Hotel – the proposed venue for the meeting.

"According to our contact, the meeting was canceled because of the limited budget allocated to the Assembly," the hotel's sales and account manager, Yuda Wirawan, said as quoted by Antara in Sanur, Bali, on Wednesday.

He said that the assembly had booked standard rooms for 40 legislators in the five-star hotel one month ago, at a price of US$180 per night. "However, because of budgetary constraints, the meeting organizer canceled the meeting on Monday evening, and moved the venue to Jakarta," he said.

On Tuesday afternoon, the ad hoc committee on the amendment of the Constitution met to decide whether to carry out the plenary meeting in Bali or Jakarta. However, an even voting had left the matter undecided.

Among the public, the plan to convene the meeting in Bali had made the assembly a target of fierce criticism. Critics said that convening the meeting in Bali would be a tremendous waste, considering the poor state of their finances. The Bali meeting would have reportedly cost the Assembly Rp 690.5 million (US$69,500).