The Two Faces of Irwandi, Governor and GAM Leader

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000369 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS AIDAC DEPT FOR EAP/MTS NSC FOR MORROW USAID FOR ANE/EAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ID SUBJECT: The Two Faces of Irwandi, Governor and GAM Leader REF: JAKARTA 0313 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On Thursday, February 7, Irwandi Yusuf was sworn in as the Governor of Aceh by the Minister of Home Affairs, becoming the first directly elected Governor in Aceh's history and marking an important milestone in the Aceh peace process. Several hours later GAM staged a second, highly provocative, ceremony which opened with the Acehnese national anthem and which featured GAM "Prime -Minister" Malik Mahmud anointing Irwandi as the "Head of the Government of Aceh." Ever since Irwandi won the election last December, the Indonesian leadership has pursued a sunshine strategy toward the governor-elect which demonstrated its commitment to the establishment of a healthy relationship between Jakarta and Aceh. Irwandi as well has been constructive, focusing on the needs of the people of Aceh without separatist overtones (reftel). Although a TNI official told us privately that Jakarta is treating the second ceremony as a "political party celebration", he also indicated that if they continue, antics such as this could weaken the cooperative spirit which has been established and undermine the position of those arguing that Irwandi and GAM should be taken at their word that they have abandoned their separatist ambitions. End summary. The Official Inauguration Ceremony -------------- ¶2. (U) On Thursday, February 7, Minister of Home Affairs Mohammad Ma'ruf swore in Irwandi Yusuf as Aceh's first directly elected governor in a ceremony chaired by the head of the provincial legislature and attended by approximately 1500 people. Several senior GAM officials, including Malik Mahmud, Lampoh Awe, and Muzakkir Manaf attended the ceremony as did members of the diplomatic corps, the provincial legislature (DPRD),and select representatives from civil society and the government. ¶3. (U) In his opening speech, the head of the provincial legislature Fuad Said held out Aceh's local elections as a model for the rest of the country because they proved that direct elections with independent candidates could be held peacefully and result in a winner with a broad mandate. At the same time, however, he reminded Irwandi that he had generated hope and optimism among the Acehnese but that the challenge would be making those hopes a reality. In a thinly veiled warning that the DPRD would not tolerate separatism, Fuad pledged his and the DPRD's support for all programs designed to develop Aceh within the context of the "Unitary Republic of Indonesia." Unsurprisingly given that the audience was composed primarily of DPRD members and others with strong ties to Jakarta, the line which received the loudest applause was Fuad's comment that Irwandi was no longer the leader of an "outside party" but had become the leader of "Aceh Province." ¶4. (U) In a speech filled with English phrases like "checks and balances", "transparency", and "good government", Home Affairs Minister Ma'ruf exhorted Irwandi to focus on promoting the welfare and prosperity of the people and pledged the support of the government in Jakarta. As in Fuad's speech, Ma'ruf's reminder that Irwandi was "government's representative in the province" generated enthusiastic applause. Ma'ruf challenged Irwandi to unite all members of the province together to build the new peaceful, prosperous Aceh envisioned during the signing of the Helsinki MOU. ¶5. (SBU) As the Minister of Home Affairs snapped on Irwandi's official governor epaulettes, Mirwan Amnir, a parliament member noted wryly that "the GAM is finished." ¶6. (SBU) According to several of Irwandi's advisors and his speechwriter, Irwandi had mistakenly expected to speak at the ceremony and was disappointed that he was unable to do so. (Note: there is nothing unusual about this. In Indonesia, newly installed governors do not speak at their inauguration.) The speech he prepared event would have doubtlessly pleased the audience: it praised Jakarta for the positive steps it has taken to assist the province and implement the Helsinki MOU and acknowledged that "Aceh is an inseparable part of the Republic of Indonesia". JAKARTA 00000369 002 OF 002 The GAM Ceremony, Inauguration or Party Building? -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) Several hours after the official inauguration ceremony, GAM staged a second inauguration in a large public park not far from the Governor's palace. GAM officials had promised that more than 50,000 Acehnese would attend the event; fewer than 10,000 showed up. Sofyan Dawood, former GAM spokesperson and Irwandi's campaign manager, organized and emceed the event. ¶8. (U) Event organizers decked out the stage in ornate gold reds and yellow cloth, reminiscent of a sultan's palace. Governor Irwandi Yusuf and Vice Governor Mohammad Nazar dressed in the Acehnese royal attire were seated beside their wives under colorful tents. To their right sat GAM "Prime Minister" Malik Mahmud; GAM Ulama Abu Teungku Tanoh Mirah sat to their left. ¶9. (U) A young boy opened the ceremony by singing the old Acehnese anthem that GAM members traditionally sang at flag raising ceremonies. Keeping with Irwandi's promise that he would not fly the Acehnese flag after becoming governor, no Acehnese flags were displayed. ¶10. (U) Ulama Tanoh Mirah began the ceremony by formally blessing Irwandi and Nazar and challenging them to revise the Law on the Government of Aceh (LOGA)to make it consistent with the will of the people. Then, Malik Mahmud, in his capacity as GAM "Prime Minister" and on behalf of "Head of State" Hasan Tiro, anointed Irwandi and Nazar with rice, water, and pronounced them the "Heads of the Government of Aceh". The words "province", "Indonesia", and "governor" were never mentioned. This process was repeated for the seven pairs of GAM-affiliated candidates who won positions during the local elections. ¶11. (U) Once this process was finished, each of seven pairs of candidates plus GAM's seventeen regional commanders came forward one by one and sprinkled rice and water on Irwandi and Nazar, symbolically pledging to follow them as their leaders. ¶12. (U) Following the formal ceremony, Malik, Irwandi, and Nazar each addressed the crowd in Acehnese. Although the speeches were filled with symbolism, none made any overt statement in favor of independence. ¶13. (SBU) TNI contacts who were aware of the GAM ceremony told us that Jakarta has chosen to treat the ceremony as a "political party celebration" similar to those a formal political party might hold after winning an election. At the same time, he acknowledged that some parties in Jakarta had attempted to cite the event as proof that GAM had not abandoned its commitment to independence. He expected that Jakarta's public reaction would be minimal but warned that tolerance of such public spectacles was not infinite. Pascoe