Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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07JAKARTA3198 | 2007-11-19 09:42:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Jakarta |
VZCZCXRO9732 PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #3198/01 3230942 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 190942Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7107 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4502 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1595 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1453 RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3554 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1141 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2033 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0452 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003198 |
1. (SBU) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please handle accordingly. 2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During a November 15 visit to the Habibie Institute--a public policy think-tank--POL, PAS and USAID officers held a lengthy dialogue with Institute officials about public opinion polling. Emboffs described Mission polling projects, offered to bring a visiting polling speaker to the Institute early next year, and exchanged thoughts on the limitations of polling. The outreach event came in response to a request from former president Habibie to the Ambassador for more information about Mission's activities in this area (Ref A). END SUMMARY. KEY CENTER EYES POLLING PROJECT 3. (SBU) On November 15, officers from the Political and Public Affairs Sections, and USAID held an in-depth discussion about public opinion polling with 15 senior officials from the Jakarta-based Habibie Institute. The Institute--founded in 1999 by former president Habibie--is a non-profit think-tank known for its symposiums and scholarly articles on democracy, human rights, and technology issues. 4. (SBU) Habibie Center officials underscored concerns about the prevalence of poverty and the rise in unemployment in Indonesia. Executive Director Ahmad Watik Pratiknya asserted that even if macroeconomic indicators were "moving in the right direction," the average Indonesian was having trouble meeting his or her basic needs. According to Pratiknya, as a result, Indonesian society was becoming "confused" and Indonesians needed an objective way to determine whether democracy was on the right track. 5. (SBU) In Pratiknya's judgment, one such way to gauge the overall fitness of democracy in Indonesia would be to develop a "happiness index"--a systematic, quantifiable statistical analysis of satisfaction with government services based on extensive polling. The index would allow Indonesians to see how far the country had come (or needed to go) and better understand what was working and what was not. U.S. POLLING 6. (SBU) USAID Emboff outlined the basic parameters of a three-year USAID financed national survey that measures Indonesian attitudes towards democracy. Among other items, the survey looked at national perceptions about security, the role of religion, as well as political parties and local governments. Emboff distributed copies of the 2006 survey results and noted that the 2007 polling responses were being tabulated. Mission would transmit a copy of the 2007 results as soon as they were available and would happily provide another briefing to discuss them. Emboffs underscored that while the Mission survey provided useful data points, it was a perception survey, and not the type of performance index project the Habibie Institute sought to embark upon. SPEAKER PROGRAM 7. (SBU) Cultural Affairs emboff announced that Mission would welcome a speaker on polling in January of 2008 (the speaker will be in Jakarta January 21 through February 8). Noting the Habibie Center's ongoing interest in polling, emboff offered to arrange for the speaker to visit the Institute for a comprehensive roundtable discussion of polling. Habibie Institute officials gratefully agreed to the suggestion. POLLING AS A TOOL 8. (SBU) Emboffs underscored the importance of recognizing the limitations of polls. If conducted properly, polls could be useful tools for policy-makers or voters, but they were inherently imperfect. Polls could not scientifically gauge JAKARTA 00003198 002.2 OF 002 the strength of leadership, or grade performance, though they could be used to measure an electorate's perception in snapshot fashion of those two issues. Successful political parties and politicians generally used polls to help tailor their message and focus their political efforts, but polls amounted to little more than a barometer of a particular snapshot in time. THINK-TANKS AND DEMOCRACY 9. (SBU) Many Indonesian think-tanks work actively--and creatively with limited means--to help advance democracy in Indonesia. Mission will continue to dialogue closely with the Habibie Institute and other organizations within the Indonesian think-tank community regarding such efforts (Ref B). While it is not the most important Indonesian think-tank, the Habibie Institute has a positive record and has done serious studies on democratization. HUME |