SOUTH SULAWESI: SUPREME COURT ORDERS SOUTH SULAWESI ELECTION

UNCLAS SURABAYA 000091 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ID SUBJECT: SOUTH SULAWESI: SUPREME COURT ORDERS SOUTH SULAWESI ELECTION COMMISSION TO HOLD GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTIONS IN FOUR DISPUTED REGENCIES REF: SURABAYA 74 This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) On December 19, the Supreme Court accepted defeated incumbent Amin Syam's challenge to the November gubernatorial election results and asked the South Sulawesi Election Commission (KPUD) to hold re-elections in four regencies (Bone, Bantaeng, Gowa, and Tan Toraja). The Supreme Courts decision annulled the KPUD's decision declaring challenger Syahrul Yasin Limpo the Governor of South Sulawesi (reftel). According to press reports, Vice President and South Sulawesi native Jusuf Kalla asked Syahrul's supporters to accept the Supreme Court's decision. ¶2. (SBU) On December 21, Andi Mappinawang, the Chairman of KPUD, told Consulate Surabaya that the South Sulawesi KPUD will challenge the decision and submit a request for judicial review on the grounds that the Supreme Court has no legal authority to order re-elections in four regencies. He said that re-elections should only be conducted in polling stations where there is substantial evidence of manipulation or violations of election rules. Mappinawang added that the funding for any re-elections had yet to be determined and the members of the KPUD would soon end their terms, further complicating the issue. ¶3. (SBU) According to Sukriansyah, the Chief Editor of the local newspaper Fajar Daily, supporters of Amin Syam were holding a demonstration December 21 demanding the KPUD investigate and resolve questions of vote manipulation. They argue that four days before the KPUD announced Syahrul as the victor, the KPUD had signaled that Amin Syam had received the majority of votes. Sukriansyah noted that with a margin of victory of just 25,000, regardless of previous election fraud or manipulation, any re-election could change the election results because voters might change their votes or decide not to vote at all. He added that three of the four regencies in question are considered natural bases for Syahrul and his running mate Agus Nu'mang. MCCLELLAND