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