AMM TO STAY IN ACEH THROUGH ELECTIONS (NOVEMBER 22)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 009268 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL ID SUBJECT: AMM TO STAY IN ACEH THROUGH ELECTIONS (NOVEMBER 22) JAKARTA 00009268 001.2 OF 002 \\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\ \\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\ PLEASE ZFR THE ABOVE JAKARTA 009268 ALL SECTIONS IMI PLEASE ZFR THE ABOVE JAKARTA 009268 AND BLANK ALL ASSOCIATED MCNs. PLEASE DELETE ALL SECTIONS. CABLE WAS SENT IN ERROR AND WILL BE RESENT WITH A NEW MRN. \\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\ZFR\\\\\\ JAKARTA 00009268 002 OF 002 had been greeted in Aceh. Although most Acehnese did not regard the LOGA as perfect, it did provide a substantial degree of authority to the next elected government including: shared management of the province's significant oil and gas resources; permission to register local political parties; permission to register candidates for office independently of party affiliation; and the right of the elected governor to appoint the provincial chief of police and chief prosecutor. Participants agreed it would be in GAM,s best interest to resolve its outstanding concerns about the law and then support it strongly. By electing its members to office, the GAM could ensure its continued organizational viability and ability to exercise political influence through the significant power the LOGA offered. ¶9. (C) Participants agreed that widespread acceptance of the LOGA was essential to the successful conclusion of the peace process. Feith urged USG support in familiarizing the Acehnese population with the provisions of the law, and the Ambassador said that support would be forthcoming once all sides had expressed unequivocal support for the law's implementation. ¶10. (C) AMM participants said it was too early to predict the next governor. In a meeting earlier in the day, Chief Operating Officer Eddy Purwanto of the Agency for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation (BRR) said public support for former Acting Governor Azwar Abubakar appeared to be fading although Abubakar has the largest financial resources of all the candidates. Public sentiment, according to Purwanto, is building for Human Hamid. Interlocutors throughout the day also noted candidates had yet to register officially and the race had yet to begin in earnest. PASCOE