SBY REPLACES AILING HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002377 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP NSC FOR ECHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KISL PINR ID SUBJECT: SBY REPLACES AILING HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER REF: A. JAKARTA 2051 ¶B. JAKARTA 1282 JAKARTA 00002377 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy Pol/C Stanley J. Harsha for reasons 1.4(b,d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On August 28, President Yudhoyono appointed Central Java Governor Mardiyanto to replace Mohamad Ma'ruf as the Minister for Home Affairs. Mardiyanto was sworn in on August ¶29. Outgoing Minister Ma'ruf suffered a debilitating heart attack in late March, and SBY surprised many observers by failing to move more swiftly to replace Ma'aruf after it became clear his condition was not improving. A retired army major general, Mardiyanto has no political ties and is widely respected as an impartial figure with a strong governing record. End Summary. SBY FINALLY PULLS THE TRIGGER -------------- ¶2. (C) Nearly five months after Mohamad Ma'ruf suffered a heart attack that put him into a coma, President Yudhoyono named a replacement to take over the rudderless Ministry of Home Affairs. The move filled a critical hole in SBY's cabinet, and ended months of speculation about his plans for the position. Coupled with the cabinet modifications the President made in May (Ref B),the move shores up SBY's team as he approaches the third year anniversary of his five year term. MARDIYANTO THE MAN -------------- ¶3. (C) According to Umar Juoro, a former staffer for President Habibie, Mardiyanto had a strong reputation as a reform minded general during his military days, and has maintained that reputation throughout the course of his governorship. Juoro told us that Mardiyanto was widely admired for his stewardship of Central Java, and noted that his lack of political connections had allowed him to operate without the political party pressures that have hampered the effectiveness of many other Governors. ¶4. (U) Press coverage of Mardiyanto's appointment has been uniformly positive, and politicians seemed to be tripping over each other to offer words of praise for him. Yuddy Chrisnandi, a parliamentarian with Golkar, offered an assessment of Mardiyanto that was representative: "There are three reasons why Mardiyanto is the right person, namely that the president knows him well, he has the required capabilities for the job, and is widely accepted." TOP PRIORITIES FOR MARDIYANTO -------------- ¶5. (C) Mardiyanto's top priority as Home Affairs Minister will be to coordinate the implementation of the Constitutional Court's decision to allow independent candidates to contest sub-national elections (Ref A). According to Embassy contacts, Mardiyanto's status as a political outsider should give him the credibility to lead the government's efforts to create the electoral mechanism for independent candidates. Mardiyanto will also serve as the President's lead negotiator with Parliament on a package of four political bills currently under consideration and likely to pass early next year. BIO NOTES -------------- ¶6. (U) Mission has the following bio notes on the new Minister: -- Mardiyanto: Born November 21, 1949....graduated from the National Military Academy in 1970...served as the Commander of DANREM in Kalimantan in 1991...served as the Head of the Military Tactical Department of the Military Academy from JAKARTA 00002377 002.2 OF 002 1993-1995 and then as Rector of the Academy from 1995-1997...served as the Commander of the IV /Diponegoro Area Military Command from 1997-1998...as Governor of Central Java from 1998-2007...speaks English fluently...is married to Effi Nurbayati and has two sons. HUME