Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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07SURABAYA59 | 2007-10-22 11:11:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Consulate Surabaya |
VZCZCXRO5705 RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJS #0059 2951111 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 221111Z OCT 07 FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0083 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0026 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0075 RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0007 RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0085 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0009 RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0024 |
UNCLAS SURABAYA 000059 |
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Violence and confusion continues to plague the race for Governor and Vice Governor in the Province of North Maluku. The official start date for the campaign has changed three times amid violent physical assaults and accusations of favoritism on the part of the Provincial Election Commission (KPUD). A 19 October brawl between followers of the Sultan of Ternate and supporters of the incumbents shows that the official campaign season, which started on 17 October, will likely travel a very rocky road to election day on November 3. And there is always the possibility that the election will be rescheduled yet again. END SUMMARY 2. (SBU) S. Ahmad of the North Maluku Provincial Election Commission (KPUD) told Consulate General Surabaya that the date of North Maluku's election has been changed from October 25 to November 3 as a result of requests by the challengers. Previously, the North Maluku KPUD scheduled the start of the campaign on October 5 and election day on 25 October. Mr. Yamin Tawary, former Chairman of North Maluku Golkar, told us that challengers forced the KPUD to abandon its original decision to start the campaign on October 5 because campaign activities would break the electorate's concentration during Ramadan fasting. Tawary said the KPUD caved in to this pressure and agreed to postpone the start of the campaign to October 17. Tawary also told us that KPUD members were known to favor certain candidates and this cast suspicion on their decisions. The chairman of KPUD supports the incumbents while the other members are supporters of various challengers, said Tawary. Provincial media reported that anger over the KPUD's decision and suspected double-counting of potential voters in some districts resulted in an assault on Rusli Djalil, the Head of the Ternate Election Commission, and his staff by a group of angry citizens on 11 October. 3. (SBU) The incumbent Governor Thaib Armaiyin, and his running mate Abdul Ghani Kasuba are supported by three parties: the Prosperity and Justice Party (PKS), the Democratic Party (PD), and the Crescent Star Party (PBB). Their supporters disagreed with the postponement of the campaign, arguing that Ramadan is not an emergency circumstance. Tawary told the Consulate that the fight over timing has more to do with campaign strategy on both sides than with Ramadan. If the election runs beyond their term of office, the incumbents lose access to official vehicles, offices and staff. 4. (SBU) All four pairs of gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidates were scheduled to kick off their campaigns on 17 October by presenting their campaign vision and mission at the offices of the North Maluku KPUD. The challengers appeared, but the incumbents failed to do so, opting instead for a separate rally on 19 October. Groups allied with the Sultan of Ternate assaulted supporters of Armaiyin and Kasuba at the event, accusing them of using a field adjacent to the Sultan's palace without permission. One representative from the incumbents' campaign was beaten by the Sultan's supporters and sustained critical head injuries according to local press reports. Although sporadic violence continues in North Maluku, according to S. Ahmad of the KPUD, all preparations for election day are on track. According to Yamin Tawary, however, the Election Oversight Committee (Panwasda) has discovered that voter rolls are still incomplete. The KPUD is unprepared for any elections, this month or next, said Tamary. MCCLELLAND |