US Senator Barack Obama will not accept public financing for his general election campaign, he told supporters Thursday.

Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama answers questions from the audience during a town hall meeting as he campaigns at Kaukauwa High School in Kaukauna, Wisconsin June 12, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

In an email message sent to supporters, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said the decision means that his campaign will forgo more than 80 million US dollars in public funds.

In exchange for public funds, candidates usually agree to a capon the amount of money they can spend on their campaigns.

Obama's decision marks the first time since 1976 that a major party's presidential candidate has rejected public financing for the general election.

"It's not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections," Obama said.

"But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system," he added.

Obama repeatedly broke campaign fundraising records during the Democratic primary season over the first half of this year.

He has raised more than 272 million dollars since January 2007.

Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, raised less than half that amount, roughly 100 million dollars over the same period.

Two months ago, McCain criticized Obama for appearing to backtrack from a previous commitment to accept public financing for his presidential campaign.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2008)