Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA1151
2008-06-12 07:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
GOLKAR AND PKS IN RUN-OFF IN EAST KALIMANTAN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001151
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PINS ID
SUBJECT: GOLKAR AND PKS IN RUN-OFF IN EAST KALIMANTAN
GOVERNOR'S RACE
REF: A. JAKARTA 1043
B. JAKARTA 1020
C. JAKARTA 801
Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001151
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PINS ID
SUBJECT: GOLKAR AND PKS IN RUN-OFF IN EAST KALIMANTAN
GOVERNOR'S RACE
REF: A. JAKARTA 1043
B. JAKARTA 1020
C. JAKARTA 801
Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The upstart Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
pulled in the urban youth vote again to force a run-off
election against the establishment Golkar Party, in the
closely contested East Kalimantan gubernatorial elections.
The final vote count for the May 26 elections was announced
on June 10, with Golkar holding a small lead over the Islamic
PKS but failing to reach the 30 percent threshold needed to
win. Local political observers said no one can predict who
will win the second round, scheduled for early September.
END SUMMARY.
2. (U) The slow vote count in East Kalimantan's first-ever
direct gubernatorial elections gave Golkar Party candidate
Awang Farouk Ishak and running mate Farid Wadjidy 28.9
percent of the vote. The Patriotic Party candidate Achmad
Amins and his PKS running mate Hadi Mulyadi were a close
second with 26.9 percent of the vote, about 30,000 votes
behind. Both contenders campaigned on bread-and-butter
issues of reducing poverty, providing jobs and improving
infrastructure in sparsely populated but resource rich remote
Borneo province (Refs A and B).
3. (C) Civil society observers in East Kalimantan told
DepPol/C on June 11 that the Amins/Mulyadi team benefited
from PKS's ability to mobilize its base of energetic young
members in the urban areas of Balikpapan and Samarinda, as
well as Amins' support as the mayor of Samarinda, the
provincial capital. Amins is rumored to be involved in
corrupt business deals and to use thugs to get his way, while
Mulyadi fits the PKS mold of a young, honest and well
educated politician.
4. (C) Golkar's Farouk carried the vote as Regent (district
chief) of the heavily populated East Kutai District, also
benefiting from Golkar's ample resources. Respected as an
intellectual and a competent Regent, Farouk has been
campaigning hard for two years. His platform to improve the
education system and to provide more services for people in
the river hinterland proved popular.
5. (U) Farouk complained publicly following the final count
that a last-minute decision by the National Elections
Commission to raise the threshold from 25 percent to 30
percent of the vote to achieve a first-round victory robbed
him of the victory. The Commission relied on a new elections
regulation to change raise the threshold. Awang said he
would dispute the threshold with the Constitutional Court.
6. (C) A win for the PKS coalition would provide further
momentum for this Muslim party in light of two recent upset
wins in West Java and North Sumatra, while Golkar is anxious
to recoup after a string of losses in local elections (Ref C).
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PINS ID
SUBJECT: GOLKAR AND PKS IN RUN-OFF IN EAST KALIMANTAN
GOVERNOR'S RACE
REF: A. JAKARTA 1043
B. JAKARTA 1020
C. JAKARTA 801
Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The upstart Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
pulled in the urban youth vote again to force a run-off
election against the establishment Golkar Party, in the
closely contested East Kalimantan gubernatorial elections.
The final vote count for the May 26 elections was announced
on June 10, with Golkar holding a small lead over the Islamic
PKS but failing to reach the 30 percent threshold needed to
win. Local political observers said no one can predict who
will win the second round, scheduled for early September.
END SUMMARY.
2. (U) The slow vote count in East Kalimantan's first-ever
direct gubernatorial elections gave Golkar Party candidate
Awang Farouk Ishak and running mate Farid Wadjidy 28.9
percent of the vote. The Patriotic Party candidate Achmad
Amins and his PKS running mate Hadi Mulyadi were a close
second with 26.9 percent of the vote, about 30,000 votes
behind. Both contenders campaigned on bread-and-butter
issues of reducing poverty, providing jobs and improving
infrastructure in sparsely populated but resource rich remote
Borneo province (Refs A and B).
3. (C) Civil society observers in East Kalimantan told
DepPol/C on June 11 that the Amins/Mulyadi team benefited
from PKS's ability to mobilize its base of energetic young
members in the urban areas of Balikpapan and Samarinda, as
well as Amins' support as the mayor of Samarinda, the
provincial capital. Amins is rumored to be involved in
corrupt business deals and to use thugs to get his way, while
Mulyadi fits the PKS mold of a young, honest and well
educated politician.
4. (C) Golkar's Farouk carried the vote as Regent (district
chief) of the heavily populated East Kutai District, also
benefiting from Golkar's ample resources. Respected as an
intellectual and a competent Regent, Farouk has been
campaigning hard for two years. His platform to improve the
education system and to provide more services for people in
the river hinterland proved popular.
5. (U) Farouk complained publicly following the final count
that a last-minute decision by the National Elections
Commission to raise the threshold from 25 percent to 30
percent of the vote to achieve a first-round victory robbed
him of the victory. The Commission relied on a new elections
regulation to change raise the threshold. Awang said he
would dispute the threshold with the Constitutional Court.
6. (C) A win for the PKS coalition would provide further
momentum for this Muslim party in light of two recent upset
wins in West Java and North Sumatra, while Golkar is anxious
to recoup after a string of losses in local elections (Ref C).
HUME