Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA1165
2008-06-13 10:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
COURT RULES AGAINST GUS DUR IN PARTY DISPUTE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001165
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KISL ID
SUBJECT: COURT RULES AGAINST GUS DUR IN PARTY DISPUTE
REF: JAKARTA 728
Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001165
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KISL ID
SUBJECT: COURT RULES AGAINST GUS DUR IN PARTY DISPUTE
REF: JAKARTA 728
Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: A Jakarta District Court ruled against
former President Abdurrahman Wahid (alias Gus Dur) on June
12, reinstating his cousin as the party chair of Gus Dur's
Islamic-oriented National Awakening Party (PKB). However,
the decision did nothing to settle the internal dispute
between Gus Dur and his cousin for control of the party. Gus
Dur is appealing the decision to the Supreme Court and unless
the legal dispute is settled quickly, the General Election
Commission (KPU) might disqualify PKB for the 2009
legislative elections. In that eventuality, Indonesia's only
truly moderate Muslim party could be out of the picture for
next year's key national elections. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) South Jakarta District Court judges ruled on June
12 that Gus Dur's March 26 ouster of Chief Deputy
Parliamentary Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar as party chair was
invalid. Judges stated that the move was illegal because
Iskandar had not violated any party by-laws.
3. (SBU) Gus Dur immediately announced he is appealing to
the Supreme Court, a process which could take months. The
KPU cannot verify PKB's list of party candidates while the
chairmanship is in legal limbo. The KPU deadline is expected
to fall within the next couple of months. If the Supreme
Court has not ruled by then, KPU could disqualify PKB for the
April 2009 national legislative elections.
4. (C) This is the third time that party patron Gus Dur has
kicked out a party chairman. The first chairman Matori Abdul
Djalil was fired by the party central board in 2001 for
supporting a move to impeach then President Wahid. In 2004,
former foreign minister Alwi Shihab was suspended as party
chairman after he accepted a ministerial post in the
President Yudhoyono cabinet. A district court ruled in Gus
Dur's favor and Shihab formed a rival party, Nadhatul Ulama
Awakening Party (PKNU),which split off a small percentage of
PKB support.
YENNY WAHID FUTURE LEADER
5. (C) NU insiders told DepPol/C on June 12 that Gus Dur's
current motive is to install his highly competent and bright
daughter Yenny Wahid, age 33, as party chair to carry on his
legacy. Muhaimin's supporters conceded to us that she will
be the future leader but say she is not yet experienced
enough to lead. However, objective outside observers who
know Yenny well told us that she is more than politically
ready to captain the party and that her prospects as a rising
national leader are very bright.
6. (C) Muhaimin does not have nearly the following that the
patriarch Gus Dur enjoys but unlike earlier rivals, he has a
grassroots following, particularly among younger PKB members.
This split would more severely damage the party than earlier
ones.
7. (C) Still, contacts agree that PKB would not be much
without Gus Dur, even if his health and ability to think
rationally are declining. Although the party has been
waning, with its strong base of support within Indonesia's
largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),PKB still
figures to remain a major political player. More
importantly, as an NU leader and senior official in the
Ministry of Religion told DepPol/C, PKB is the only truly
moderate Islamic party and plays a very important role if
only for that reason.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KISL ID
SUBJECT: COURT RULES AGAINST GUS DUR IN PARTY DISPUTE
REF: JAKARTA 728
Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: A Jakarta District Court ruled against
former President Abdurrahman Wahid (alias Gus Dur) on June
12, reinstating his cousin as the party chair of Gus Dur's
Islamic-oriented National Awakening Party (PKB). However,
the decision did nothing to settle the internal dispute
between Gus Dur and his cousin for control of the party. Gus
Dur is appealing the decision to the Supreme Court and unless
the legal dispute is settled quickly, the General Election
Commission (KPU) might disqualify PKB for the 2009
legislative elections. In that eventuality, Indonesia's only
truly moderate Muslim party could be out of the picture for
next year's key national elections. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) South Jakarta District Court judges ruled on June
12 that Gus Dur's March 26 ouster of Chief Deputy
Parliamentary Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar as party chair was
invalid. Judges stated that the move was illegal because
Iskandar had not violated any party by-laws.
3. (SBU) Gus Dur immediately announced he is appealing to
the Supreme Court, a process which could take months. The
KPU cannot verify PKB's list of party candidates while the
chairmanship is in legal limbo. The KPU deadline is expected
to fall within the next couple of months. If the Supreme
Court has not ruled by then, KPU could disqualify PKB for the
April 2009 national legislative elections.
4. (C) This is the third time that party patron Gus Dur has
kicked out a party chairman. The first chairman Matori Abdul
Djalil was fired by the party central board in 2001 for
supporting a move to impeach then President Wahid. In 2004,
former foreign minister Alwi Shihab was suspended as party
chairman after he accepted a ministerial post in the
President Yudhoyono cabinet. A district court ruled in Gus
Dur's favor and Shihab formed a rival party, Nadhatul Ulama
Awakening Party (PKNU),which split off a small percentage of
PKB support.
YENNY WAHID FUTURE LEADER
5. (C) NU insiders told DepPol/C on June 12 that Gus Dur's
current motive is to install his highly competent and bright
daughter Yenny Wahid, age 33, as party chair to carry on his
legacy. Muhaimin's supporters conceded to us that she will
be the future leader but say she is not yet experienced
enough to lead. However, objective outside observers who
know Yenny well told us that she is more than politically
ready to captain the party and that her prospects as a rising
national leader are very bright.
6. (C) Muhaimin does not have nearly the following that the
patriarch Gus Dur enjoys but unlike earlier rivals, he has a
grassroots following, particularly among younger PKB members.
This split would more severely damage the party than earlier
ones.
7. (C) Still, contacts agree that PKB would not be much
without Gus Dur, even if his health and ability to think
rationally are declining. Although the party has been
waning, with its strong base of support within Indonesia's
largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),PKB still
figures to remain a major political player. More
importantly, as an NU leader and senior official in the
Ministry of Religion told DepPol/C, PKB is the only truly
moderate Islamic party and plays a very important role if
only for that reason.
HUME