NEW POLITICAL PARTY TRIES TO MAKE MARK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001477 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2018 TAGS: PGOV KDEM ID SUBJECT: NEW POLITICAL PARTY TRIES TO MAKE MARK REF: A. JAKARTA 1441 ¶B. JAKARTA 1405 ¶C. JAKARTA 1366 ¶D. JAKARTA 1043 AND PREVIOUS ¶E. 07 JAKARTA 2748 JAKARTA 00001477 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Hanura, a new political party, hopes to make a strong showing in the 2009 legislative elections. The party is led by Wiranto (one name only),a former general and current presidential candidate who is a highly controversial figure due to his poor human rights record. The party--which takes populist-type positions--is well-financed, with a core of active supporters. That said, it lags in the polls at this point. While it seems possible that the party might enter Parliament thanks to the elections, no one expects it to be a major player there. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) This message is part of Mission's background series on Indonesia's political parties ahead of the April 2009 national legislative elections. Ref A discusses the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P),Ref B concerns the National Awakening Party (PKB),Ref C focuses on Golkar and Refs D analyze the Islamic-oriented Prosperous Justice Party. A NEW PARTY ¶3. (C) One of the new entrants on the Indonesian political scene is Hanura, an acronym which in Bahasa Indonesian means "People's Conscience Party." The party was founded in December 2006. Hanura is led by General (ret'd) Wiranto, who is also a presidential candidate. Wiranto is very well-known in Indonesia (he served as chief of staff of the military from 1998-99 during Suharto's fall from power and the transition to democracy). His human rights record makes him extremely controversial, with many blaming him and other former high-level officers for the violence that took place around the timeframe of the 1999 independence referendum in East Timor. ¶4. (C) As befits a party led by such a figure, Hanura takes what it claims are "nationalist" positions on issues, stressing Indonesia's "need" to assert its sovereignty through "self-reliance." In fact, many of the party's stances are probably better encapsulated in the term "populist" to the extent that it considers itself "pro-people" and "anti-poverty." It has come out against recent fuel price hikes mandated by President Yudhoyono and expressed some distrust of foreign direct investment. The party is basically secular-leaning. It is not friendly to U.S. Middle East policy, in general. A PARTY FRAMEWORK THAT SEEMS STRONG ¶5. (C) Hanura seems very well-organized and well-financed. The party's headquarters is located in central Jakarta in an upscale neighborhood. The headquarters--which is across from Pol/C's residence--is a veritable beehive of activity, with party members holding large meetings, day and night. In addition to a "national media office" in Jakarta, the party also has opened up dozens of offices in other parts of the country, so it has a nationwide presence. Many of the party's higher level members are former military men or former GOI officials with links to the Suharto period. The bulk of these figures were formally supporters of Golkar, which currently is Indonesia's largest party. Hanura maintains a relatively slick website at www.Hanura.com. ¶6. (C) Based on what we have heard, Hanura is also well-financed, with contacts claiming that it is funded in JAKARTA 00001477 002.2 OF 002 large part by members of the Suharto family or others who became hugely rich during the Suharto period. Because Indonesia's regulations on party funding are vague and not enforced, there is little confirmed information. That said, Hanura seems much better financed that some other new parties. LAGGING IN THE POLLS ¶7. (SBU) Hanura has not made an impact in the polls as of yet. In a recent poll by Jakarta's Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),Hanura does not even register (seven others did). In a poll by IndoBarometer, the party barely made a showing, obtaining 2.3% of support (seventh place). In presidential polls, Wiranto fares much better, usually with about 7.0% of support, placing him variously in fourth to fifth place (well behind President Yudhoyono and his main challenger, former president Megawati of PDI-P). (Note: Some parties have also expressed an interest in Wiranto as a possible vice presidential candidate. For more on Wiranto, see Ref E.) Hanura also has not figured in recent gubernatorial contests. It has not been active in coalitions for gubernatorial races and has not put up its own candidates. A LONG WAY UNTIL '09 ¶8. (C) There is a lot of time before the April 2009 legislative elections and it is still early. That said, Hanura seems to have the capacity and resources needed to run an effective campaign. Most observers believe that Hanura will probably be able to enter Parliament, an achievement for a new party, though it almost certainly won't be a major player there. That could pose a problem for Wiranto and his presidential campaign. He needs strong support in Parliament--under Indonesia's complicated election rules--in order to get on the ballot in the presidential election and it is unclear where he will get it. HUME